UCSB  LIBRAItX 


LIBRARY 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
0¥  CALIFORNIA 

SANTA  BARBARA 


PRESENTED  BY 


Mr.    Robert    E.    Easton 


>^— - 


^AMHlJ  ■■''-' 


%^K<Ji/ 


Digitized  by  tlie  Internet  Arcliive 

in  2007  witli  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


littp://Www.arcliive.org/details/boysownbool<ofspoOOjoliniala 


^Ito 


Boys'  Own  Book 


OP 


SPORTS,  BIRDS,  AND  ANIMALS. 


NEW"  YORK : 

LEAVITT    &    ALLEN, 


Entered  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1848,  bjr 

GEORGE   S.   APPLETON, 

lo  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States! 
and  for  the  Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


PEEFACE. 


The  boy's  library  is  not  considered  complete  without  a 
Book  of  Sports.  The  little  fellows  like  to  have  a  printed 
authority  for  the  laws  of  the  game;  and  they  take  delight  in 
reading  descriptions  of  those  games  and  amusements  which 
afford  them  recreation  in  the  intervals  of  labour  tind  study. 

Our  little  volume  describes  the  most  popular  amusements, 
and  will  undoubtedly  suggest  to  most  of  its  juvenile  readers 
some  sports  with  which  they  were  previously  unacquainted. 
We  have  confined  ourselves  to  those  sports  which  prevail  in 
our  own  country — those  which  all  may  participate  in,  with- 
out inconvenience ;  believing  it  to  be  quite  superfluous  to 
give  any  account  of  those  which  are  wholly  foreign  and  un- 
practised by  American  boys. 

And  if  our  efforts  have  been  instrumental  in  instructing, 
improving,  or  amusing  any  of  our  youthful  readers,  we  need 
scarcely  affirm,  that  it  will  prove  a  source  of  real  and  un- 
mixed gratification  to  their  well- wisher  and  friend, 

UNCLE  JOHN. 
(3) 


COiN^TElSTTS. 


MINOR  SPORTS 

rA«B 

PAO« 

Buff  with  the  Wand 

.      26 

Boncea 

.     9 

Jingling        .         . 

.  27 

Spanning 

9 

Hunt  the  Slipper 

.      27 

The  Regiment  of  Soldier 

3      .  10 

Hunt  the  Whistle 

.  28 

Chip  Halfpenny 

.      10 

Puss  in  the  Corner    . 

..      29 

Hockey  or  Shinney 

.  10 

Thread  the  Needle 

.  29 

I  spy  I      . 

.       11 

The  Huntsman 

.      80 

Masters  and  Men 

.  11 

The  Game  of  the  Key 

.  31 

The  Graces 

.       12 

The  Two  Hats 

.      32 

The  Bandilor 

.  12 

Penances  for  Forfeits 

.  34 

Cup  and  Ball    . 

.       13 

Schimmel,  or  the  Bell 

and 

Nine  Holes   . 

.  13 

Hammer 

.      36 

Backets    . 

.      13 

Dibs     . 

.        .  38 

Fives    .... 

.  15 

The  Game  of  Fingers 

•      39 

Foot-Ball 

.      16 

Dumb  Motions 

.  40 

Golf,  or  Cambuca 

.  17 

Snap-Apple 

.      41 

Hurling     . 

.      17 

Snap-Dragon 

.  41 

Stool  Ball     . 

.  18 

Drawing  the  Oven     . 

.      41 

Trap,  Bat,  and  Ball  . 

.      19 

Hopping  Bases 

.  42 

Rounders 

.  20 

Whoop 

.      42 

Pall  iMall 

.      21 

French  and  English 

.  43 

Quoits 

.  21 

Tag  or  Touch   . 

.      43 

Bowls 

.      22 

Cross-Touch 

.  43 

Hop  Scotch 

.  23 

Hunt  the  Hare 

.      44 

Blindman's  Buflf 

.      25 

Baste  the  Bear     . 

.  44 

Shadow  Buff 

.  26 

Hide  and  Seek 

.      4i 

Cv) 


CONTENTS. 


Duck  Stone  .  .  .  ,.  'i^ 
Saddle  my  Nag  .         .      47 

Buck 48 

Prisoner's  Base  .         .       49 

Rushing  Bases  .  .  .61 
Stag  Out  .  .  .  .51 
Warning  .  .  .  .52 
See-Saw  ....  63 
Leap-Frog  .  .  .  .63 
Fly  the  Garter  .         .       54 

Duck  and  Drake  .  .  .55 
King  of  the  Castle  .  .  66 
Dropping  the  Handkerchief  56 
Hop,  Step,  and  Jump  .  .  57 
Casting  the  Ball  .  .  57 
Two  to  One  .         .         .57 

Long  Rope  ...  58 
The  Snow  Statue  .        .  58 

Snow  and  Ice  Houses  .  60 
Follow  my  Leader  .  .  61 
Hippas  ....  61 
Walk!  my  Lady,  Walk  I  .  62 
The  Swing  ...  62 
The  Pulley  .        .         .63 

Sliding  ....  63 
"Jack!  Jack!  show  a  Light"    64 

GYMNASTIC  EXERCISES 
Training  .  .  .  .  65 
Running  .  .  .  .65 
Walking  .  .  .  .66 
Jumping       .        .        .        .65 


The  High  Leap  .        .      66 

The  Long  Leap  .  .  ,66 
The  High  Leap  with  the  Pole  66 
The  Long  Leap  with  the  Pole  66 
The  Deep  Leap  with  the  Pole  67 
Lifting  at  Arm's  length  .  67 
The  Rope  .  .  .  .67 
The  Javelin  ...  67 
The  Long  Chalk  .  .  .68 
The  Hand  Spring  .  .  68 
Spring  from  the  Thumb  .  68 
The  Stooping  Reach  .  .69 
The  Triumph  ,  .  .69 
The  Feat  with  the  Finger  70 
The  Feat  with  the  Poker  70 
Kneeling  Down  .        .       70 

To   remove   a   Chair    from 

under  you  without  falling  71 
Breast  to  Mouth  ,  .  .71 
Walking  on  Stilts      .        .      71 


CRICKET. 

78 

ARCHERY. 

The  Bow 

.  74 

Arrows 

.      75 

The  String     . 

.  75 

The  Quiver 

.      76 

The  Tassel    . 

.  70 

The  Glove 

.      76 

The  Brace     . 

.  77 

The  Belt,  Pouch,  &o. 

.      77 

CONTENTg. 


^ 


PAOK 

The  Ascbam         .        .  .77 

Butts         ....  77 

Targets         .        .         .  .78 

Position    ....  79 

Roving           .        ,         .  .79 

Distance  or  High  Shooting  80 

Clout  Shooting           .         .  80 

Stringing  the  Bow         .  .  81 

ANGLING. 
Rods  ....       84 

Lines 85 

Hooks       ....       85 

Floats 85 

Baits         ....       85 
Articles   requisite   for   An- 
glers .         .         .         .86 
Salt  Water  Angling  .        86 
Observations         .         .         .87 

SWIMMING. 
To  begin  to  learn  to  Swim       88 
To   return   back   again   in 

Swimming  .         .         .89 

Td  float  or  swim  with  the 

face  toward  the  sky  .  90 
How  to  turn  in  the  Water  .  90 
The  Turn  called  Ringing  the 

Bells  .         .         .         .91 

Another  way  of  Turning  91 

I'o  swim  backwards  .       92 


rxsa 

To  turn  one's  self  lying  along  92 
To  make  a  Circle  .  .  93 
To  turn,  being  in  an  upright 

position  .  .  .  93 
To  advance  Swimming  with 

the  hands  joined  together  94 
To  swim  on  your  Side  .  94 
To  swim  on  the  Face  holding 

both  hands  still  .  .  95 
To  carry  the  left  Leg  in  the 

right  Hand  .  *  .  .  95 
To  swim  like  a  Dog  .  .  95 
To  Beat  the  Water  .       96 

To  keep  one  Foot  at  liberty  97 
To  show  both  Feet  out  of 

the  Water  .        .        .97 

Suspension  by  the  Chin  .  98 
To  tread  Water  .  .  .98 
Changing  Hand  and  Foot  99 
To  creep  ....  99 
To  sit  in  the  Water  .  100 
To  swim  holding  up  your 

Hands  .  .  .  .100 
The  Leap  of  the  Goat  .  100 
To  Dive  .  .  .  .101 
Tbe  Perpendicular  Descent  101 
To  swim  under  Water  .  102 

To  come  to  the  top  ofvtthe 

Water  after  Diving  .  lOJ 
To  make  a  Circle  .         lO-". 


TIU 


CONTENTS. 


SKATING. 

rAsx 
Construction  of  the  Skate  105 
Dress  of  the  Skater  .  107 
Preliminary   and   General 

Directions  .  ,  .108 
The  ordinary  Run  .  110 
The  Forward  Roll  ,  .  Ill 
Figure  of  Three    .         .  113 

Inside  Edge  backwards     .      114 

ROWING. 
The  Boat    »  •         .        .         120 
Starting    .        .        .        .121 
Sculling  .         .         .  122 

Pulling  with  the  Oar  .  123 
Feathering  .  .  .  124 
To  back  Water  ,        .124 

Crossing  .  .  .  125 
Passing  ....  125 
Meeting  .  .  .  125 
Tides  .  .  .  .126 
Landing        .        .        .  126 

What  to  Femember  .  .  127 
What  to  Avoid      .        .  127 

Sea  Rowing  .  .  .130 
Terms  used  in  Boating  132 

A  Few  Final  Remarks      .      133 

RIDING. 

The  Hirse                .  .135 

The  Saddle  .         .  .          1361 

The  Stirrups    .        .  .      1371 


The  Bridle    . 

To  Mount 

Walking 

Trotting   , 

Cantering 

Galloping  .        < 

Leaping 

What  to  Remember 

Conclusion    . 


PAsa 
187 

139 
141 
142 
143 
143 
144 
145 
151 


SLEIGHT  OF  HAND,  MAGIC, 
&c.  153 

ENIGMAS,  RIDDLES,  &c. 

Enigmas  .  .        .     167 

Charades         .  .         170 

Conundrums      .  .         .172 
Key       ...        .        177 

Geographical  Play  .         .180 
Story-Play     .        .         .        181 

Capping  Verses  .         .     182 

MISCELLANIES. 
To  Polish  Shells     .        .        186 
Noise  in  Shells  .        .187 

How  to  grow  an  Oak  in  a 

Hyacinth  Glass  .        187 

Glass  from  Straw      .         .188 
To  extract  the  Perfume  of 

Flowers  ;         .         189 

Vegetable  Skeletons  .    189 

Rosin  Gas      .        .         .        190 
To  write  Black  with  Water    192 


THE  ao^'S 

BOOK  OF  SPORTS  AND  GAMES. 


MINOE  SPORTS. 

BONCES. 

Having  provided  yourselves  with  marbles,  called  bonces, 
let  the  one  agreeing  to  commence  the  game,  roll  his  marble 
a  short  distance.  His  adversary  then  shoots  at  it,  and  so 
on  in  rotation  until  one  or  other  wins  it,  by  striking  the 
marble  the  number  of  times  agreed  upon. 

SPANNING. 

This  is  played  with  any  kind  of  marble.  The  one 
agreeing  to  commence,  shoots  his  marble  as  far  as  he  likes. 
His  opponent  then  shoots  in  his  turn,  endeavouring  to  strike 
the  one  first  shot,  or  shoot  it  so  close  that  he  can  touch 
both  at  a  span ;  if  he  can,  he  wins ;  and  so  on  in  succession, 
until  one  or  other  wins. . 

(9) 


10  MINOR    SPORTS. 

THE  REGIMENT  OF  SOLDIERS. 

According  to  the  number  of  players,  let  each  put  dows 
two  or  three  marbles,  and  having  placed  them  in  a  straight 
line,  draw  another  line  about  two  jards  from  where  the 
marbles  are,  to  play  from,  which  is  done  by  shooting  at  them 
in  rotation ;  and  all  the  marbles  knocked  oflF  the  line  become 
the  property  of  the  pi  .yir. 

CHIP  HiXFPENNY. 

To  play  at  this,  you  must  provide  yourself  with  a  small 
wooden  spoon,  as  well  as  your  top.  J)raw  a  line,  on  which 
place  the  two  halfpence.  The  first  player  then  spins  his 
top,  and  taliing  it  up  in  his  spoon,  tries  to  chip  his  half- 
penny towards  the  goal  or  winning  place ;  his  opponent 
then  does  the  same,  and  so  on  ti)J  one  or  other  wins. 

HOCKEY,  OR  SHINNEY. 

It  will  be  necessary  in  this  game,  to  provide  yourselves 
with  a  vine  stick  having  a  hook  at  one  end,  and  also  a  ball ; 
or  a  good  sized  bung,  is  the  best  to  play  with.  The  players 
must  be  equal  in  point  of  numbers,  on  each  side.  The  bung 
is  then  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  playground,  and  the 
party  winning  the  right  of  striking  first,  attempts  to  strike 
it  to  touch  his  opponent's  goal,  and  he  must  be  well  backed 
by  his  party  to  enable  him,  if  possible,  to  succeed.  This 
game  affords  excellent  amusement  and  sport  when  the  game 


MASTERS    AND    MEN.  11 

IS  played  by  skaters,  but  they  must  be  good  ones,  or  it  ia 
dangerous.  This  is  called  in  Scotland,  &c.,  shinney,  from 
the  players  striking  each  others'  shins,  in  trying  to  knock 
the  bung  from  between  their  legs;  but  this  I  trust  my 
young  readers  will  not  attempt,  as  it  invariably  produces 
much  ill  feeling,  which  should  not  exist  between  little  boys. 

I  SPY  I. 

This  game  is  best  played  where  there  are  a  number  of 
convenient  places  to  hide.  Sides  are  chosen,  and  one  party 
goes  out  to  hide  while  the  other  remains  at  "  home."  One 
of  the  players  who  are  out  hiding,  calls  " warning"  and 
then  quickly  hides  himself.  The  other  party  at  home,  then 
sallies  out  to  find  them,  but  if  two  of  the  hiding  party  can 
reach  home  before  one  has  been  discovered,  they  cry  out 
"all  home,"  and  then  go  and  hide  again.  The  seekers 
must  find  two  of  the  opposition  before  they  are  entitled  to 
go  out  and  hide. 

MASTERS  AND  MEN. 
This  is  a  game  that  admits  of  great  variety,  and  will 
afford  as  much  amusement  to  the  spectators  as  to  the  players. 
In  fact,  if  properly  played,  they  may  well  be  called  juvenile 
charades.  The  party  is  divided  into  two ;  one  to  be  called 
the  masters,  and  the  other  the  men.  The  latter,  who  com- 
mence the  game  by  agreement,  must  try  and  keep  the  mas- 


12  MINOR      SPORTS. 

ters  out  of  work  as  long  as  they  can.  The  men  must  make 
a  choice  of  some  trade  they  can  easily  imitate,  such  as  a 
carpenter,  mason,  doctor,  &c.,  and  one  of  them  must  tell 
the  masters  the  first  and  last  letters  of  the  trade;  and 
endeavour  to  depict  the  actions  of  men  employed  in  the 
trade  chosen.  If  the  masters  guess  the  proper  answer,  they 
take  the  place  of  the  men.  If  after  some  time  they  do  not, 
they  begin  a  new  trade. 

THE  GRACES. 

This  game  is  played  by  any  number  of  persons  standing 
apart  from  each  other,  and  requires  two  wands,  and  a  hoop 
covered  with  leather,  which  may  be  procured  at  any  toy 
shop.  The  wands  are  held  firmly  in  each  hand,  and  the 
hoop  is  placed  on  them.  The  wandi  must  then  be  crossed, 
and  sharply  drawn  asunder,  trying  to  drive  the  hoop,  so  that 
another  with  whom  you  are  playing  may  catch  it. 

THE  BANDILOR. 

This  toy  is  made  of  wood,  somewhat  in  the  shape  of  a 
ship's  pulley,  with  a  string  wound  round  the  centre.  To 
bring  this  into  action,  the  end  of  the  string  must  be  held 
between  the  finger  and  thumb,  allowing  the  bandilorto  fall; 
the  string  will  then  unwind  itself,  and  on  checking  its  fall, 
will  instantly  rewind  itself.  This  is  a  nice  plaything,  and 
may  be  easily  procured. 


BACKETS.  18 

CUP  AND  BALL. 

This  toy  must  be  procured  at  some  toy  shop.  They  are 
made  of  wood  and  ivory ;  the  latter  is  the  best,  as  it  is  not 
so  liable  to  chip  or  splinter.  You  must  hold  the  stem  of  it 
between  the  finger  and  thumb  of  the  right  hand,  and  jerk 
the  ball  upwards  to  enable  you  to  catch  it  in  the  cup,  turr-ing 
the  ball  round  in  the  jerk.  \Vhen  you  have  attained  some 
proficiency  in  catching  it  in  the  cup,  you  can  then  endeavour 
to  catch  it  on  the  pointed  end,  or  stem,  though  it  will  require 
some  practice  to  accomplish  this. 

NINE  HOLES. 

This  game  is  played  as  well  with  leaden  bullets  aa  with 
marbles.  They  are  to  be  bowled  along  a  level  course,  at  a 
board  having  arches  cut  in  it,  with  numbers  marked  over 
each  arch ;  viz.,  supposing  there  are  eight  arches,  they  may 
be  numbered  thus,  2051043  0.  If  the  bowler  strikes 
the  side  of  the  arch,  he  loses  his  marble,  but  receives  as 
many  from  the  owner  of  the  board  as  the  number  over  the 
arch  through  which  his  marble  passes. 

•.  RACKETS, 

This  game  is  played  in  a  clear  space  of  ground,  having  a 
high  wall  painted  black,  and  the  ground  divided  into  four 
equal  parts  with  chalk,  two  divisions  near  the  wall,  and  two 
behind  them.     The  latter  are  occupied  by  the  out  play-ers 


%L 


14  MINOR     SPORTS. 

At  the  height  of  forty  inches  from  the  ground,  a  broad  lint 
is  drawn  with  chalk  on  the  wall,  and  the  ball  must  strike  the 
wall  above  this  line.  It  can  be  played  by  either  two  or 
four  players.  When  two  play,  each  must  cover  two  com- 
partments ;  but  when  four  are  playing,  each  player  takes 
one  of  the  divisions.  Those  occupying  the  divisions  nearest 
the  wall,  are  called  "  in  hand"  players ;  those  in  the  others, 
*'  out  hand"  players.  The  ball  must  not  weigh  more  than 
one  ounce,  and  as  the  eye  cannot  well  follow  it  in  the  game 
unless  it  is  rendered  discernible  by  being  frequently  rolled 
in  white  chalk,  it  should  be  changed  often  for  that  purpose, 
as  it  then  forms  a  strong  contrast  to  the  black  wall  played 
against.  The  ball  is  driven  forward  against  the  wall,  with 
a  racket,  formed  of  a  strong  catgut  net  work.  The  rules 
are  as  follow : — ^After  deciding  who  begins  the  game,  it  is 
commenced  by  the  "  in  hand"  party  striking  the  ball 
against  the  wall )  if  it  strikes  under  the  line,  or  goes  over 
the  wall,  or  does  not  rebound  into  the  "  out  hands"  spaces, 
or  goes  beyond  the  bounds  of  the  racket  ground,  the  striker 
is  "  out,"  and  the  "  out  hand"  takes  his  place.  Should 
none  of  these  occur,  when  the  ball  has  rebounded  into  the 
out-spaces,  and  risen  from  the  ground,  it  is  driven  back  to 
the  wall  again,  to  rebound  into  one  of  the  in-spaces,  and 
80  on  alternately.  The  art  consists  in  driving  the  ball  in 
such  a  manner  against  the  wall,  that  in  its  rebound,  your 
opponents  shall  be  unable  to  pick  it  up  or  hit  it ;  when  this 


FIVES.  15 

occurs,  the  one  who  struck  the  ball  counts  one  point,  and 
the  game  is  so  continued,  until  one  side  scores  eleven  or 
fifteen  as  agreed  upon. 

FIVES. 

Sometimes  called  hand  tennis,  or  palm  play,  from  being 
once  played  with  the  naked  hand,  afterwards  with  a  lined 
glove,  or  cords  bound  round  the  hand.  Fives  can  be  played 
singly  or  with  partners.  A  wall  should  be  selected  with  a 
good  level  hard  piece  of  ground  before  it.  A  line  is  then 
drawn  on  the  wall  three  feet  from  the  ground ;  another  on 
the  ground  two  yards  from  the  wall ;  and  another  describ- 
ing three  sides  of  a  square,  of  which  the  wall  makes  the 
fourth,  to  mark  the  bounds.  The  winner  of  the  choice  of 
commencing,  begins  by  dapping  his  ball  on  the  ground, 
striking  it  against  the  wall  above  the  line  drawn,  so  that  it 
may  rebound  far  enough  to  fall  outside  the  line  on  the 
ground.  The  other  player  then  strikes  it  in  the  same  man- 
ner before  it  has  touched  the  ground  more  than  once.  The 
first  player  then  prepares  to  strike  it  as  it  rebounds,  and 
the  game  is  thus  continued  until  one  of  the  players  fails  to 
lift  the  ball  before  it  has  rebounded  from  the  ground  more 
than  once,  strikes  it  below  the  mark,  or  drives  it  out  of 
bounds.  If  the  player  does  either  of  these,  he  loses  his 
innings  j  if  the  other,  then  the  in-player  scores  one  on  each 
occ-asion  towards  the  game,  which  ia  fifteen.     The  rules  are 


16  MINOR   SPORTS. 

the  same  when  partners  are  playing,  each  side  keeping  up 
the  ball  alternately,  and  the  partners  taking  it  in  turns  for 
innings  as  the  other  side  goes  out.  After  the  ball  is  first 
played  out  at  the  commencement,  it  is  not  necessary  to  make 
the  ball  rebound  beyond  the  ground  line,  which  is  used  only 
to  make  the  player  who  is  in  give  out  the  ball  fay-ly,  when 
he  first  takes  the  innings,  or  plays  out  the  ball  after  he  has 
Mon  a  point. 

FOOT  BALL. 

This  game  was  formerly  much  in  repute  in  England, 
until  the  reign  of  Edward  the  Third,  when  it  was  succeeded 
by  the  more  delightful  amusement  of  archery,  the  practice 
of  which  was  enforced  by  a  public  edict,  as  foot-ball  was 
found  to  impede  the  progress  of  the  latter  accomplishment, 
and  its  being  properly  learned.  The  game  should  be  plu3fed 
in  a  large  field,  having  at  each  end  a  boundary  mark  or 
home  for  the  contending  armies,  which  may  consist  of  any 
number  equally  divided  ;  and  is  played  with  a  bladder  filled 
with  wind,  or  an  India  rubber  ball  covered  with  seal  skin. 
The  ball  is  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  field,  and  the  con- 
tending parties  endeavour  to  kick  it  into  their  opponent's 
boundary.  The  party  which  first  succeeds  in  doing  this, 
wins  the  game.  This  is  a  game  that  will  afibrd  excellent 
amusmeut,  and  is  highly  conducive  to  jiealth. 


GOLF,    OR     CAMBUCA.  IT 

GOLF,  OR  CAMBUCA, 

So  called  in  the  reign  of  Edward  the  Third,  from  a  crooked 
elub  or  bandy-bat  used  in  playing.  In  Scotland  it  is  much 
practised,  and  is  sometimes  called  bandy-ball. 

This  game  may  be  played  by  any  number,  each  player 
being  provided  with  a  bandy  made  of  ash,  four  feet  and  a 
half  long,  with  a  curve  or  hook  affixed  to  the  bottom,  made 
of  horn,  and  backed  with  lead.  The  ball  should  be  small, 
made  of  feathers  covered  with  leather,  and  very  hard.  The 
game  consists  in  driving  the  ball  into  holes  made  in  the 
ground  at  certain  distances  ore  from  the  other,  and  he  who 
succeeds  in  doing  so  in  the  fewest  number  of  strokes  wins 
the  game.  Between  the  first  and  last  holes  a  space  of  two 
miles  may  intervene ;  the  number  of  holes  between  which 
are  optional.  The  ball  must  be  driven  into  each  hole  and 
not  beyond  it.  There  is  a  golf  club  in  London  composed 
of  Scotchmen,  who  meet  once  a  year  to  play  a  grand  match. 
They  appear  in  Highland  costume,  which  forms  a  very 
picturesque  exhibition. 

HURLING. 

The  number  of  players  must  be  even,  and  divided  into 
pairs,  and  when  the  game  commences,  each  pair  become 
mdividual  opponents.  They  should  be  well  matched  as  to 
size  and  strength.  Two  poles  are  fixed  in  the  ground  ten 
feet  apart,  and  opposite  them  two  more  (the  same  distance 


18  MINOR    SPOBTS. 

apart)  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  paces  oflF.  TIk,  ampire, 
who  does  not  take  a  part  in  the  game,  tbon  throws  up  a 
ball,  and  whoever  can  catch  it,  and  C7rry  it  through  his 
opponent's  goal,  wins  the  game.  Thy  point  of  the  game 
consists  in  the  holder  of  the  ball  refaiiAvg  it  long  enough ; 
for  his  antagonist  endeavours  to  po:-7eRfj  himf^lf  of  the  ball, 
ind  impede  the  holder's  progress,  Tho  lav  of  the  game  is 
that  they  may  hurl  the  ball  froit  mz  ployai  to  another,  but 
two  must  not  attack  one,  nor  cax  ike  holder  of  the  ball  hurl 
it  to  any  of  his  party  who  mi./  be  nearer  his  opponent's 
goal  than  himself. 

STOOf.  BALL 

Is  played  by  two  persons,  o  ie  taking  his  place  in  front  of 
%  stool  placed  upon  the  grjup.d,  the  other  taking  his  place 
at  a  distaoce.  The  latter  to<^des  the  ball,  endeavouring  to 
strike  the  stool,  and  it  is  the  business  of  the  other  to  beat 
it  away  with  his  hand  to  }[>revent  this ;  and  he  reckons  one 
to  the  game  for  every  time  he  strikes  the  ball  away.  If  on 
the  other  hand,  the  stool  should  be  struck,  the  players 
change  places;  the  one  winning  the  game  who  drives  tho 
ball  away  from  the  stool  the  greatest  number  of  times. 
This  game  may  be  played  by  several  persons  placing  stools 
in  the  form  of  a  circle,  a  single  player  to  each  stool ;  when 
the  ball  has  been  struck,  each  one  changes  his  place,  running 
from  stool  to  stool,  and  'f  the  feeder  recovers  the  ball  ia 


TRAP,   BAT,   AND    BALL.  19 

time  to  strike  any  of  the  players  before  he  arrives  at  the 
stool  to  which  he  is  running,  they  change  places,  and  the 
one  touched  becomes  feeder  until  he  succeeds  in  striking 
another. 

TRAP,  BAT,  AND  BALL. 

A  boundary  is  placed  at  given  distances  on  each  side  of 
the  trap,  through  which  the  ball  must  pass,  and  a  line  is 
fixed  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  from  the  trap,  and  eight  or  ten 
feet  high,  over  which  the  striker  must  send  the  ball,  or  he 
is  out.  The  game  may  be  played  by  any  number.  The 
one  who  is  to  commence  places  his  ball  in  the  spoon  of  the 
trap ;  he  then  touches  the  tongue,  and  as  the  ball  rises  he 
strikes  it.  The  other  players  endeavour  to  catch  it,  and 
Ihe  one  who  succeeds  before  the  ball  has  struck  the  ground 
becomes  the  batman.  If  the  ball  is  not  caught,  the  player 
into  whose  hands  it  comes,  bowls  it  at  the  trap  from  the 
place  where  he  picked  it  up.  If  he  hits  the  trap,  the  striker 
is  out,  and  he  takes  his  place..  If  he  misses  it  the  batsman 
scores  one  towards  the  game.  The  tongue  of  the  trap 
should  not  be  struck  too  violently ;  and  it  is  well  to  catch 
the  ball  witK  your  left  hand  once  or  twice  before  calling 
"play,"  and  striking  it.  This  will  enable  you  to  judge 
what  is  the  best  position  to  stand  in,  so  as  to  strike  the  ball 
in  a  direction  where  there  is  the  least  chance  of  its  being 
caught.  By  allowing  the  ball  to  rise  to  its  greatest  height 
it  will  enable  you  to  take  a  good  aim  at  it  as  it  is  falling 


20  MINOR    SPORTS. 

BOUNDERS. 

This  and  the  above  game  rank  next  to  cricket  for  amuse- 
ment, and  being  healthy  and  invigorating  exercises.  It  is 
played  with  a  round  stick  two  feet  in  length,  and  a  hard 
bench  ball.  Four  or  five  stones  or  posts  are  placed  in  the 
form  of  a  circle,  one  of  which  is  called  the  "  home"  and  the 
others  "bases."  After  partners  on  each  side  have  been 
chosen  and  the  innings  determined,  the  out  players  are 
scattered  over  the  field,  one  taking  his  place  as  "-feeder"  in 
front  of  home,  and  one  behind  to  return  the  ball  to  the 
feeder.  The  in  player  who  commences  then  strikes  at  the 
Dall.  If  he  succeeds  he  runs  from  base  to  base,  and  another 
takes  up  the  bat.  If  any  strike  at  a  ball  and  miss  it,  they 
are  out;  or  if  any  are  struck  with  the  ball  while  running 
from  base  to  base,  they  are  out ;  and  the  feeder  may  pre- 
tend to  toss  the  ball,  to  induce  a  player  to  leave  a  base  he 
is  standing  at,  to  obtain  a  chance  of  striking  him  and  put- 
ting him  out.  Each  in  player  takes  the  bat  in  rotation  as 
he  arrives  at  home.  If  all  are  out  but  two  or  three,  and 
those  are  at  the  bases,  and  one  be  not  able  to  reach  home 
before  the  home  is  crowned  by  the  ball,  all  are  put,  or  if  one 
of  the  strikers  sends  his  ball  so  that  it  is  caught,  all  his 
party  are  out.  If  all  are  out  but  two,  the  best  player  is 
allowed,  with  the  consent  of  the  others,  to  have  two  feeds 
or  hits  for  the  rounder,  and  if  he  gets  home  without  being 
struck,  or  the  home  being  crowned,  all  his  party  are  in 


QUOITS.  21 

•gain,  and  continue  as  before;  if  not,  the  opposite  party 
goes  in. 

PALL  MALL. 

The  Mall  in  St.  James's  Park  derived  its  name  from  this 
game  being  constantly  practised  there  during  the  reign  of 
Charles  the  Second,  by  Charles  himself,  and  his  courtiers, 
but  of  late  years  it  is  scarcely  heard  of.  The  game  is 
played  with  a  piece  of  box  and  a  mallet  in  an  alley  having 
an  iron  arch  at  each  end,  and  he  who  drives  the  ball  through 
the  arch  in  the  fewest  number  of  strokes  wins  the  game. 

QUOITS. 
An  iron  hob  or  pin  is  driven  into  the  ground,  to  within 
four  or  five  inches  of  the  head ;  and  at  a  distance  of  14, 
16,  20,  or  more  yards,  accor  ling  to  the  age  and  strength 
of  the  players,  a  second  pin  is  driven  in,  in  a  similar  man- 
ner, and  those  who  are  coatending  in  the  game  stand  at 
one  of  the  pins,  and  each  throws  an  equal  number  of  quoits 
to  the  other  pin.  The  player  who  rings  his  quoit,  or  putf 
it  nearest  to  the  pin,  scores  one  point  to  the  game  j  but  if 
A.  puts  a  quoit  nearest  the  pin,  and  B.  places  one  second, 
and  A.  then  places  the  remainder  of  his  quoits  nearest  tha 
pin  after  B.,  he  still  scores  only  one,  as  by  B.  putting  bis 
one  quoit  second,  it  prevents  the  other  quoits  being  reck- 
oned; but  if  B.  does  not  succeed  in  placing  a  quoit  to  cut 


^  MIN.OR     SPORTS. 

out  those  of  A.,  each  of  A.'s  quoits  counts  as  one.  By 
having  two  pins  the  players  can  proceed  from  one  to  the 
other  to  determine  'the  state  of  the  game,  and  play  on  to 
each  pin.  This  game  is  much  practised  in  England,  seve- 
ral grand  quoit  matches  coming  oflF  annually.  As  an  exer- 
cise, it  is  highly  conducive  to  health.  Strutt,  in  his  Sports 
and  Pastimes,  says,  that  "the  quoit  seems  evidently  to 
have  derived  its  origin  from  the  ancient  Discus." 

BOWLS 

May  be  played  by  sides  of  two  or  three  each,  or  single 
players.  Two  balls  are  taken  by  each  player,  and  the  one 
who  commences  casts  a  smaller  ball,  frequently  painted 
white,  and  called  a  jack,  to  any  distance  that  suits  him. 
He  then  delivers  a  ball  towards  the  jack,  each  player  follow- 
ing his  example  until  all  the  balls  are  used ;  one  of  each 
side  delivering  a  ball  alternately.  The  position  of  the  balls 
is  then  examined,  and  the  one  lying  nearest  to  the  jack 
scores  one  to  the  player,  and  if  his  other  ball  (or  presuming 
the  game  is  played  with  partners,  either  of  their  balls), 
should  be  nearer  the  jack  than  any  ball  delivered  by  his  or 
their  opponents,  then  they  can  score  as  many  more  -towards 
the  game  as  they  have  balls  thus  placed.  The  game  should 
be  played  upon  a  closely  shorn  grass  lawn,  perfectly  smooth 
and  level.  The  balls  played  with  are  not  perfectly  round, 
being  what  is  called  biassed,  having  some  mark  at  the  thick 


HOP    SCOTCH.  23 

end,  which  end  must  he  held  towards  the  bowler's  left 
hand.  The  aim  of  the  player  is  to  drive  his  opponent's 
ball  away  from  the  jack,  or  the  latter  away  from  the  former, 
and  at  the  same  time  place  his  ball  as  near  the  jack  as  he 
can. 

The  terms  used  in  the  game  are,  "  to  bowl  wide,"  which 
is  when  the  bias  is  good,  or  is  not  strong  enough ;  "  narrow," 
when  it  is  too  strong;  "finely  bowled,"  when  the  ball 
passes  close  to  the  jack ;  "  yard  over,"  is  when  the  jack  is 
mo'^;  "over  bows,"  when  the  ball  passes  beyond  the 
jack.  A  ball  is  sometimes  placed  by  a  player  purposely 
within  his  reach  to  obstruct  the  one  who  follows  him,  and  is 
called  "  laid  at  hand ;"  placing  the  nearest  ball  to  the  jack, 
is  called  "bowl  best  at  jack;"  "drawing  a  cast,"  is  to  win 
by  bowling  nearest  the  jack,  without  touching  a  ball.  A 
ball  "rubs"  when  retarded  in  its  motion  by  some  impedi- 
ment; and  is  "gone"  when  it  passes  far  beyond  the  jack; 
a  "  lurch"  is  when  one  side  scores  eleven  before  their  oppo- 
nents have  scored  five,  and  is  game. 

HOP  SCOTCH. 

Draw  on  the  ground  a  figure  resembling  a  window  arched 
at  the  top.  The  beds  are  formed  in  the  following  manner. 
At  the  end  farthest  from  the  arch  a  line  is  drawn  from  side 
to  side,  which  is  bed  1.  Another  like  it,  divided  in  the 
centre,  forms  beds  2  and  3.     Bed  4  is  like  the  first.     Tna 


'91  MINOR     SPORTS. 

next  bed  must  be  wider,  with  a  cross  drawn  diagonally  from 
corner  to  corner,  for  beds  5,  6,  7,  and  8.  Bed  9  is  like  the 
first,  and  10  and  11  are  like  2  and  3.  Bed  12,  at  the  arch, 
is  called  the  cat's  head.  The  one  who  commences  throws 
an  oyster  shell  into  No.  1,  he  then  hops  iuto  that  bed,  and 
with  the  foot  on  which  he  falls,  drives  it  out.  He  then 
throws  it  into  2,  steps  into  1,  hops  into  2,  drives  the  shell 
from  2  to  1,  and  then  from  1  out  of  the  fi^gure.  The  shell 
is  now  thrown  into  3,  and  the  player  steps  into  1,  jumps 
astride  into  2  and  3,  one  foot  in  each  base,  springs  o#  one 
foot  into  3,  drives  the  shell  into  2,  from  2  to  1,  and  out  as 
before.  He  now  throws  the  shell  into  4,  steps  into  1,  jumps 
astride  2  and  3,  and  alights  upon  one  foot  in  No.  4,  picks  up 
the  shell,  and  placing  it  on  the  front  of  his  foot  off  the  ground, 
jerks  it  upwards  with  a  motion  of  the  leg,  and  catches  it  in 
bis  hand.  He  then  jumps  back,  repeating  the  same  jumps 
as  when  he  advanced.  He  throws  the  shell  now  into  5, 
and  passing  through  the  beds  as  before,  alights  on  one  foot 
in  No.  5,  drives  the  shell  into  4,  catches  it,  and  returns  as 
before.  He  now  throws  the  shell  into  6,  drives  it  to  5,  and 
then  to  4,  catches  it  and  returns.  When  he  is  in  7,  after 
jumping  astride  6  and  7,  he  drives  the  shell  into  6,  5,  and 
4 ;  then  out  as  usual.  From  8  to  7,  6,  5,  and  4,  consecu- 
tively, returning  as  at  first.  In  9  he  catches  the  shell  from 
his  foot,  and  returns  as  from  4.  In  10  he  drives  it  to  9. 
In  11,  after  jumping  astride,  he  drives  it  into  10,  then 


blindman's  b^jpp.  25 

into  9,  catching  it  and  returning  as  before.  He  now 
throws  the  shell  into  the  cat's  head,  on  arriving  at  which, 
he  catches  the  shell  three  times  from  his  foot,  and  then 
drives  it  with  the  foot  he  stands  on,  through  all  the  beds, 
returning  as  usual  out. 

BLINDMAN'S  BUFF 

Consists  in  one  person  having  a  handkerchief  bound  over 
his  eyes,  so  as  to  completely  blind  him  ;  and  thus  blindfold, 
he  is  called  "Buff,"  and  chases  the  other  players  either  by 
the  sound  of  their  footsteps,  or  their  subdued  merriment, 
as  they  scramble  away  in  all  directions,  endeavouring  to 
avoid  being  caught  by  him ;  when  he  succeeds  in  catching 
a  player,  and  guesses  his  name  rightly,  the  player  caught 
must  in  turn  be  blindfold,  and  the  game  be  recommenced. 
In  some  places,  it  is  customary  for  one  of  the  players  to 
inquire  of  Buff  (before  the  game  begins)  "  How  many 
horses  has  your  father  got  ?"  to  which  inquiry  Buff  responds 
*•'  Three."  "  What  colours  are  they  ?"  "  Black,  white,  and 
gray."  The  questioner  then  desires  Buff  to  "  turn  round 
three  times,  and  catch  whom  you  may,"  which  request  he 
complies  with,  by  trying  to  capture  one  of  the  players.  It 
is  often  played  by  merely  turming  the  blindfold  hero  round 
and  round,  without  questioning  him,  and  then  beginning. 
The  handkerchief  must  be  tied  on  fairly,  so  as  to  allow  no 
neana  for  Buff  to  see ;  and  whenever  he  approaches  any 


26  MINOR     SPORTS. 

thing  that  may  hurt  him,  he  should  be  warned,  as  by  the 
cry  of  "  table,"  "  chair,"  &c. 

SHADOW  BUFF. 

Shadow  buff  differs  very  materially  from  bliDdman''8 
buff,  but  it  is  equally  amusing.  A  sheet  or  table-cloth 
should  be  fastened  neatly  up  at  one  end  of  the  room,  so 
that  it  hang  free  from  wrinkles.  Buff  (not  blindfold)  seats 
himself  on  a  low  stool  with  his  face  to  the  sheet ;  a  table, 
on  which  is  a  lighted  candle,  should  be  placed  about  four 
or  five  feet  behind  him,  this  being  the  only  light  in  the 
room.  Buff's  play-fellows  next  pass  in  succession,  between 
the  candle  and  him,  distorting  their  features  in  as  grotesque 
a  manner  as  possible,  hopping,  limping,  dressing  themselves 
in  bonnets,  shawls,  cloaks,  or  other  disguises,  and  perform- 
ing various  antics,  so  as  to  make  their  shadows  very  unlike 
themselves.  Buff  must  then  try  to  guess  to  whom  the 
shadows  belong;  and  if  he  guess  correctly,  the  player 
whose  shadow  he  recognises,  takes  his  place.  Buff  is  al- 
lowed only  one  guess  for  each  person,  a'nd  must  not  turn 
his  head  either  to  the  right  or  left,  to  see  who  passes. 

BUFF  WITH  THE  WAND. 

The  several- players  join  hands,  and  form  a  circle  around 
Buff,  who  stands  in  the  middle,  blindfold,  and  bearing  a 
tong  wand  or  stick.     The  players  then  sing  some  chorus, 


JINGLING.  27 

and  dance  once  round,  when  they  stop,  and  Buff  stretches 
forth  his  wand,  which  the  person  touched  must  take  by  the 
end.  Buff  then  cries  out  three  times,  and  the  player  caught 
answers  in  a  counterfeit  voice ;  but,  if  Buff  guess  his  name 
rightly,  they  change  places.  Should,  however.  Buff  guess 
wrong,  the  wand  is  released,  and  he  continues  to  guess 
until  he  names  some  one  correctly.  Sometimes  Buff  pays 
a  forfeit  on  each  failure,  as  does  each  player  on  being  caught 
and  named. 

JINGLING. 
This  is  a  west-country  sport,  and  may  be  played  in  a 
iarge  apartment,  or  out-of-doors;  if  the  latter,  within  a 
rope  ring.  A  player  has  a  bell  fastened  to  his  elbow,  or 
holds  one  in  his  hand,  which  he  keeps  jingling,  and  whence 
he  is  called  the  jingler :  he  endeavours  to  avoid  the  several 
other  players,  who  are  blindfold,  and  who  strive  to  capture 
him  ;  the  jingler  may  jump  from  and  shun  the  others  as  he 
best  may;  whilst  they  follow  the  sound  of  the  bell,  and, 
not  being  able  to  see,  tumble  against,  and  over  each  other, 
thus  affording  great  amusement  to  the  spectators.  Whoever 
catches  the  jingler  within  an  agreed  time,  generally  twenty 
minutes  or  half  an  hour,  wins  the  prize;  but  if  after  this 
time  the  jingler  be  not  caught,  he  is  accounted  the  winner. 

HUNT  THE  SLIPPER. 
This  old-fashioned  pastime  need  scarcely  be  described 


Wt  MINOR    SPORTS. 

Several  boys  seat  themselves  in  a  circle  on  the  ground,  and 
another,  who  stands  within  the  ring,  gives  a  slipper  to  jnc 
of  the  players,  by  whom  it  is  secretly  handed  to  one  of  Ins 
neighbours ;  it  is  then  passed  round  from  one  sitter  to  an- 
other, so  as  to  completely  perplex  the  "hunter,"  (or  player 
standing  in  the  middle),  in  his  endeavours  to  find  the  slipper, 
and  who  must  continue  his  search  until  successful ;  the 
player  in  whose  possession  it  is  found,  must  in  his  turn 
**  hunt  the  slipper,"  whilst  the  former  hunter  joins  the  sit- 
ters. Sometimes,  to  mislead  the  hunter,  a  player  raps  the 
slipper  on  the  ground,  and  instantly  passes  it  on. 

HTNT  THE  WHISTLE. 

To  a  whistle  should  be  attached  a  piece  of  string,  and  a 
bent  pin  for  a  hook.  The  players  seat  themselves  on  the 
floor  in  a  circle,  as  for  the  Slipper,  except  one  lad  who  has 
never  before  seen  the  game,  and  is  to  be  the  hunter.  He 
conceals  his  face  in  a  player's  lap,  whilst  another  hooks  the 
whistle  on  to  his  jacket,  then  blows  it,  and  dexterously  lets  it 
fall  so  that  another  player  may  as  quickly  pick  it  up,  and  blow 
it.  The  hunter  naturally  turns  towards  the  player  whence 
the  whistling  proceeds,  but  no  sooner  is  it  heard  in  one 
place  than  it  is  repeated  in  another;  and  thus  the  hunter 
is  perplexed  to  find  the  possessor  of  the  whistle,  althoogh 
it  be  hanging  at  his  own  back. 


THREAD    THE    NEEDLE.  29 

PUSS  IN  THE  CORNER. 

Four  players  take  their  stations  in  the  four  corners  of  a 
room,  and  a  fifth  called  "  Puss"  places  himself  in  the  mid- 
dle of  it;  the  players  in  the  corners  then  change  their  posi- 
tions in  a  regular  succession,  and  the  Puss  endeavours  to 
gain  one  of  the  vacant  corners  before  the  successor  can  reach 
it ;  if  he  can  do  so,  the  player  left  out  becomes  Puss. 

THREAD  THE  NEEDLE. 

A  number  of  boys  all  join  hands,  and  the  game  is  begun 
by  the  outside  players  at  each  end  of  the  line  holding  the 
following  dialogue :  "  How  many  miles  to  Babylon  ?" 
"  Threescore  and  ten."  "  Can  I  get  there  by  candlelight  ?" 
"Yes,  and  back  again."  " Thtin  open  the  gates  without 
more  ado,  and  let  the  kinjr  and  his  men  pass  through."  The 
player  and  the  one  next  to  him  sit  the  end  of  the  line  oppo- 
site the  last  speaker  then  raif»e  tiicir  joined  hands  as  high 
AS  they  can,  to  aiiow  the  speulier  to  run  under,  and  the 
whole  line  follow  him,  stili  hoiditg  hands.  This  should  be 
done,  if  possible,  without  breaking  the  line  by  letting  the 
Lands  go,  and  is  styled  "  threading  the  needle."  When 
ail  the  boys  have  passed  through,  the  dialogue  is  repeated, 
except  that  the  player  who  before  replied,  now  asks  the 
question,  and  runs  between  the  opposite  players,  the  others 
following  as  before. 


80  MINOR    SPOATS 

THE  HUNTSMAN. 

This  game  is  one  of  the  liveliest  winter's  evening  pas- 
times  that  can  be  imagined :  it  may  be  played  by  any  num- 
ber of  persons  above  four.  One  of  the  players  is  styled 
the  "  huntsman,"  and  the  others  must  be  called  after  the 
different  parts  of  the  dress  or  accoutrements  of  a  sportsman  ; 
thus,  one  is  the  coat,  another  the  hat,  whilst  the  shot,  shot- 
belt,  powder,  powder-flask,  dog,  and  gun,  and  every  other 
appurtenance  belonging  to  a  huntsman,  has  its  representative. 
As  many  chairs  as  there  are  players,  excluding  the  **  hunts- 
man," should  next  be  ranged  in  two  rows,  back  to  back, 
and  all  the  players  must  then  seat  themselves ;  and,  being 
thus  prepared,  the  "  huntsman"  walks  round  the  sitters, 
and  calls  out  the  assumed  name  of  one  of  them;|for  instance, 
'<Gun!"  when  that  player  immediately  gets  up,  and  takes 
hold  of  the  coat-skirts  of  the  ''  huntsman,"  who  continues 
his  walk,  and  calls  out  all  the  others,  one  by  one ;  each 
must  take  hold  of  the  skirts  of  the  player  before  him,  and 
when  they  are  all  summoned,  tho  huntsman  sets  off  running 
round  the  chairs  as  fast  as  he  can,  the  other  players  holding 
on  and  running  after  him.\  When  he  has  run  round  two 
or  three  times,  he  shouts  out  "  Bang !"  and  immediately 
sits  down  on  one  of  the  chairs,  leaving  his  followers  to 
scramble  to  the  other  seats  as  they  best  can.  Of  course, 
•ne  must  be  left  standing,  there  being  one  chair  less  than 
the  number  of  players,  and  the  player  so  left  must  pay  a 


THE    GAME    OF    THE    KEY.  31 

forfeit.  The  game  is  continued  until  all  have  paid  three 
forfeits,  when  they  are  cried,  and  the  punishments  or  pe- 
nances declared.  The  huntsman  is  not  changed  throughout 
the  game,  unless  he  gets  tired  of  his  post. 

THE  GAME  OF  THE  KEY. 
This  game  may  be  played  by  any  number  of  persons, 
who  should  all,  except  one,  seat  themselves  on  chairs 
placed  in  a  circle,  and  he  should  stand  in  the  centre  of  the 
ring.  Each  sitter  must  next  take  hold,  with  his  left  hand, 
of  the  right  wrist  of  the  person  sitting  on  his  left,  being 
careful  not  to  obstruct  the  grasp  by  holding  the  hands. 
When  all  have,  in  this  manner,  joined  hands,  they  should 
begin  moving  them  from  left  to  right,  making  a  circular 
motion,  and  touching  each  others'  hands,  as  if  for  the  pur- 
pose of  taking  something  from  them.  The  player  in  the 
centre  then  presents  a  key  to  one  of  the  sitters,  and  turns 
his  back,  so  as  to  allow  it  to  be  privately  passed  to  another, 
who  hands  it  to  a  third ;  and  thus  the  key  is  quickly  handed 
round  the  ring  from  one  player  to  the  other;  which  task  is 
easily  accomplished,  on  account  of  the  continued  motion 
of  the  hands  of  all  the  players.  Meanwhile,  the  player  in 
the  centre,  after  the  key  has  reached  the  third  or  fourth 
player,  should  watch  its  progress  narrowly,  and  endeavour 
to  seize  it  in  its  passage.  If  he  succeed,  the  person  it 
whose  hand  it  is  found,  after  paying  a  forfeit,  must  take  hih 


82  MINOR   SPORTS. 

place  in  the  centre,  and  give  and  hunt  the  key  in  his  tnrn ; 
should  the  seeker  fail  in  discovering  the  key  in  his  first 
attempt,  he  must  continue  his  search  until  he  succeeds. 
When  a  player  has  paid  three  forfeits,  he  is  out. 

THE  TWO  HATS. 

This  is  a  Neapolitan  game,  and  from  the  contradictory  ^ 
nature  of  its  words  and  actions,  resembles  the  child's  pas-  * 
time  of  "the  rule  of  contrary.''  The  rules  are  that,  if 
three  mistakes  be  made  by  the  person  who  responds  to  the 
inquiries  of  the  player  bringing  the  hats  round,  and  whom, 
for  distinction's  sake,  we  will  call  the  Questioner, — he  must 
pay  three  forfeits,  and  be  out  of  the  game ;  when  the  ques- 
tioner desires  the  respondent  to  be  seated,  the  latter  must 
stand  up ;  when  he  begs  him  to  put  his  hat  on,  he  must 
take  it  oflF;  when  he  requests  him  to  stand,  he  must  sit  j 
and  in  every  point,  the  respondent  must  do  the  reverse  of 
what  the  questioner  tells  him.  The  questioner  may  sit  down, 
stand  up,  put  his  hat  on,  or  take  it  off,  without  desiring  the 
respondent  to  do  so,  or  giving  him  the  least  intimation  of 
his  intention ;  the  latter  must,  therefore,  be  always  on  his 
guard,  so  as  to  act  instantly  to  the  contrary,  else  he  incurs 
a  forfeit.  These  rules  being  settled,  the  game  is  simply 
this : — a  player  places  a  hat  on  his  head,  takes  another  in 
lus  hand;  and  gives  it  to  one  of  the  company ;  he  then  be- 


THE    TWO    HATS.  81 

gins  conversing  with  him,  endeavouring  both  by  words  and 
actions  to  puzzle  him,  and  cause  him  to  forfeit.  The  fol- 
lowing is  a  specimen  of  a  dialogue,  and  the  accompanying 
movements  of  the  hats,  in  which  A.  is  the  questioner,  B. 
the  respondent : — 

A.  {taking  his  hat  off.)     A  very  beautiful  evening,  sir. 

B.  (putting  his  hat  on.)    Yes,  indeed,  a  most  lovely  one. 
w       A.   (putting  his  hat  on  and  sitting  down,  B.   instantly 

taking  his  off  and  getting  up.)  Pray  be  seated,  sir ;  I  really 
cannot  think  of  sitting  while  you  stand ;  (gets  up,  and  B . 
sits  down.)  Have  you  been  out  of  town  this  year  ?  (taJces 
off  his  hat.) 

B.  (  putting  his  on.)  I  have  not  yet,  but  I  think  I  shall 
before  (A.  sits  down  and  B.  gets  up)  the  beauty  of  the  sea- 
son has  entirely  passed  away,  venture  a  few  miles  out  of 
town. 

A.  [putting  his  hat  on.)  I  beg  ten  thousand  pardons, 
you  are  standing  while  I  am  sitting;  pardon  me,  your  hat 
is  on,  you  must  pay  a  forfeit. 

It  generally  happens,  that  before  the  dialogue  has  been 
carried  thus  far,  the  respondent  has  incurred  three  forfeits, 
and  is,  of  course,  out;  the  questioner  then  goes  in  succes- 
sion to  the  others,  and  the  same  scene  is  repeated  by  each; 
the  conversation,  it  is  almost  needless  to  add,  should  be  va- 
ried as  much  as  possible,  and  the  more  absurd  the  better. 
3 


H  MINOB    SPORTIJ. 

PENANCES  FOR  FORFEITS. 
A/J  the  three  foregoing  games  end  with  crying  the  forfeit* 
incurred  in  them,  and  as  there  are  many  other  games  for 
long  winter  evenings,  which  our  limits  compel  us  to  omit, 
ending  in  the  same  manner,  we  subjoin  a  few  penances  (of 
Neapolitan  origin),  to  be  imposed  on  those  who  have  been 
unfortunate  enough  to  incur  them. 

1.  The  Knight  of  the  rueful  Countenance.  The 
player  whose  forfeit  is  cried,  is  called  the  "  Knight  of  the 
rueful  countenance  :"  he  must  take  a  lighted  candle  in  his 
hand,  and  select  some  other  player  to  be  his  squire  Sancho 
Panza,  who  takes  hold  of  his  arm,  and  they  then  both  go 
round  to  all  the  ladies  in  the  company.  It  is  the  squire's 
office  to  kiss  the  hand  of  each  lady,  and  after  each  kiss  to 
■wipe  the  knight's  mouth  with  a  handkerchief,  which  he  holda 
in  his  hand  for  the  purpose.  The  knight  must  carry  the 
candle  throughout  the  penance. 

2.  The  country  Table.  In  this  penance  the  owner 
of  the  forfeit  selects  some  one  to  be  secretary,  then  kneels 
down  upon  his  hands  and  knees  on  the  floor,  to  represent 
the  table,  and  his  secretary  takes  his  stand  beside  him.  One 
of  the  company  next  dictates  to  the  secretary,  who  should 
move  his  hand  on  the  back  of  the  kneeling  player,  as  if  he 
were  writing  a  letter ;  the  dictator  must  call  out  "  comma  !" 
when  he  wishes  that  stop  to  be  made,  which  the  secretary 
responds  to  by  making  a  motion  with  his  finger  on  tha 


PENANCES    FOR    FORFEITS.  ^^ 

"conwtfy  table,"  resembling  that  stop;  a  "semicolon"  by 
giving  a  knock  with  his  fist  on  the  table  and  making  a  comma; 
a  "  colon,"  by  giving  two  knocks ;  and  a  "  full  stop,"  by  one. 
For  the  sake  of  losing  as  little  time  as  possible  in  one  forfeit, 
it  is  not  necessary  to  request  more  than  the  points  or  stops 
to  be  made  on  the  "  country  table." 

3.  Journey  to  Rome.  The  person  whose  forfeit  is 
called,  must  go  round  to  every  individual  in  the  company 
to  tell  them  that  he  is  going  on  a  journey  to  Rome,  and  to 
assure  them  if  they  have  any  message  or  article  to  send  to 
his  Holiness  the  Pope,  he  will  feel  great  pleasure  in  taking 
it.  Every  one  must  give  something  to  the  traveller,  no 
matter  how  cumbrous  it  may  be,  or  awkward  to  carry 
(indeed,  the  more  inconvenient  the  articles  are,  the  more  it 
increases  the  merriment),  until  he  is  literally  overloaded 
with  presents.  When  he  has  gathered  from  all,  he  walks 
to  a  corner  of  the  room,  puts  the  articles  down,  and  so  his 
penance  ends. 

4.  The  Cushion.  The  owner  of  the  forfeit  takes  a 
cushion,  and  gives  it  to  one  of  the  company,  who  then  kneels 
down  on  the  floor,  holds  the  cushion  a  little  before  him,  and 
requests  the  bringer  to  kneel  down  on  it;  as  the  latter 
attempts  to  kneel,  the  former  slides  the  cushion  away,  stf 
that  the  unlucky  wight  kneels  on  the  carpet  instead  ;  should 
no,  however,  be  fortunate  enough  to  kneel  on  the  cushion 
at  once,  he  takes  it  to  the  next  player ;  but  if  not,  he  must 


36  MINOR    SPORTS. 

continue  his  attempts  until  he  is  successful.  The  cushion 
is  to  be  given  to  every  one  in  the  room  in  rotation,  and  the 
kneeling  penance  above  described  repeated  before  each. 

5.  The  Statue  op  Love.  The  player  who  owns  the 
forfeit  cried,  takes  a  candle  in  his  hand,  and  is  led  by  an- 
other to  one  end  of  the  room,  where  he  must  stand  and  rep- 
resent the  Statue  of  Love ;  one  of  the  players  now  walks 
up,  and  requests  him  to  fetch  some  lady,  whose  name  he 
whispers  in  Love's  ear ;  the  statue,  still  holding  the  candle, 
proceeds  to  execute  his  commission,  and  brings  the  lady 
with  him  ;  she  in  turn  desires  him  to  fetch  some  gentleman, 
and  so  it  continues  till  all  have  been  summoned.  The 
players  brought  up  by  Love,  must  not  return  to  their  seats, 
but  stand  in  a  group  round  Love's  standing-place,  until  he 
has  brought  the  last  person  in  the  company,  when  they  hiss 
him  most  vigorously,  and  the  forfeit  terminates. 

SCHIMMEL,  OR  THE  BELL  AND  HAMMER. 
To  play  this  amusing  game  requires  five  cards  of  figures, 
viz.  a  white  horse,  an  inn,  a  bell,  a  hammer,  and  a  bell  and 
hammer;  eight  little  ivory  cubes,  marked  on  one  side  only; 
gix  numbered  1,  2,  3,  4,  &c.,  and  the  other  two  marked, 
one  with  a  bell,  and  the  other  with  a  hammer ;  a  box  for 
throwing  the  dice ;  a  hammer  for  disposing  of  the  cards  by 
auction,  and  a  proportionate  number  of  counters  for  the 
players.  The,  game  may  be  played  by  as  many  persons-** 
are  present. 


SCHIMMEL.  Z% 

The  counters  are  then  to  be  distributed  by  one  of  the 
party  who  has  the  office  of  cashier ;  their  value  having  been 
previously  determined  upon  by  the  players.  This  being 
done,  twelve  are  to  be  deposited  by  each  player  in  the  pool. 
The  cashier  then  disposes  of  the  five  cards,  separately,  to 
the  highest  bidders,  the  produce  being  also  placed  in  the 
pool.  The  bidders  are  not  bound  to  confine  themselves  to 
the  number  of  counters  dealt  out  to  them  at  the  beginning 
of  the  game;  should  they  exceed  it,  they  may  pay  the 
remainder  of  the  debt  by  instalments,  out  of  their  receipts 
in  the  course  of  the  game. 

Each  person  is  at  liberty  to  purchase  as  many  cards  as 
he  may  think  proper. 

The  dice  are  to  be  thrown  by  the  players  alternately, 
beginning  with  the  holder  of  the  White  Horse ;  any  one 
being  allowed  to  dispose  of  his  throw  to  the  highest  bidder. 
When  all  blanks  are  thrown,  each  of  the  players  pays  one 
to  the  holder  of  the  White  Horse,  and  he  pays  one  to  the 
Inn.  If  with  the  blanks,  the  Bell,  or  Hammer,  or  the  Bell 
and  Hammer  together,  are  thrown,  the  possessor  of  the  card 
so  thrown  pays  one  to  the  White  Horse. 

When  numbers  accompany  the  Bell,  Hammer,  or  Bell  and 
Hammer,  the  cashier  is  to  pay  counters,  to  the  amount  of 
numbers  thrown,  to  the  holder  of  such  card,  from  the  pool ; 
but  if  numbers  be  thrown  unaccompanied,  the  cashier  then 
pays  to  the  thrower. 


9fi  MINOB     SPOKTS. 

TVTien  the  pool  is  nearly  empty,  there  arises  an  advantage 
to  the  Inn,  for  if  a  player  throws  a  figure  greater  than  the 
quantity  contained  in  the  pool,  he  pays  the  overplus  to  the 
Inn,  thus :  suppose  4  are  in  the  pool,  if  the  player  throw 
10,  he  is  to  pay  6  to  the  Inn ;  and  if  2  he  thrown,  those  2 
are  paid  to  him  from  the  pool,  and  so  on  till  a  figure  is 
thrown  which  clears  the  pool,  and  concludes  the  game. 

If  all  blanks  be  thrown  after  the  Inn  begins  to  receive, 
the  players  pay  nothing,  but  the  owner  of  the  White  Horse 
pays  one  to  the  Inn;  should  the  Bell,  &c.,  be  thrown  with 
the  blanks,  the  holder  of  that  card  pays  one  to  the  Inn  ;  and 
if  numbers  accompany  the  Bell,  &c.,  the  holder  of  that  card 
must  pay  to  the  Inn  the  number  thrown  above  those  remain- 
ing in  the  pool. 

DIBS. 
The  Dibs  are  five  of  the  small  cramp  or  trotter  bones  of 
sheep,  with  which  various  feats  are  performed.  First,  the 
player  extends  his  first  and  middle  finger,  and  having  placed 
on  the  back  of  them  a  Dib,  he  throws  it  up,  and  catches  it 
in  his  hand,  or  on  the  inside  or  back  of  his  fingers;  and  then 
increases  the  number  of  Dibs  to  two,  three,  four,  and  five, 
which  are  thrown  up  separately  or  together.  A  single  Dib 
is  then  held  between  each  of  the  fingers  and  thumb  of  the 
left  hand,  whence  they  are  thrown  in  regular  succession  to 
the  right  hand ;  and  the  modes  of  jerking  and  picking  up 
the  Dibs  may  be  amusingly  varied.     The  order  of  the  game 


THE    GAME    OF    l-INGERS.  9§ 

is,  that  as  soon  as  one  player  fails  in  the  feat  he  attempts, 
another  player  takes  up  the  Dibs. 

THE  GAME  OF  FINGERS. 

This  game,  also  called  Mora,  is  of  great  antiquity ;.  ita 
invention  being  ascribed  to  Helen,  who,  it  is  said,  waa 
accustomed  to  play  at  Mora  with  Paris,  the  son  of  Priam. 
The  game  may  be  played  by  two  or  four  persons,  and 
usually  consists  of  six  points;  but  this  is  settled  by  the 
players,  who  then  ptesent  as  many  fingers  as  they  choose, 
calling  aloud  some  particular  number;  and,  if  either  of  the 
numbers  thus  mentioned  agree  with  the  amount  of  fingers 
presented,  he  who  named  it  counts  one  toward  his  game,  by 
holding  up  a  finger  of  the  left  hand,  or  sometimes  a  fist  or 
elbow.  But  neither  player  is  permitted  to  count  it ;  on  the 
contrary,  both  numbers  are  incorrect.  When  a  player 
exclaims  "  all !"  he  must  display  his  open  hand ;  and  the 
point  is  won  if  his  rival,  at  the  same  time,  exhibit  all  his 
fingers. 

Dumb  Mora  is  played  as  above,  but  with  this  exception  : 
that  instead  of  calling  the  numbers,  the  players,  before  they 
commence  the  game,  agree  by  what  mode  they  shall  desig- 
nate odd  and  even ;  after  which,  whoever  utters  a  syllable, 
incurs  a  forfeit.  Should  any  difficulty  arise  during  the  pro- 
gress of  the  game,  but  no  words  are  allowed  to  be  spoken, 
but  the  required  explanation  must  be  given  and  received 
by  signs 


40  MINOE     SPORTS. 

DUMB  MOTIONS. 

This  dramatic  game  exercises  considerably  more  ingenuity 
than  its  name  implies.  It  is  played  hy  sides,  who  toss  up 
for  innings.  The  winning  side  retire  to  some  distance,  and 
choose  some  trade  or  professional  employment,  which  may 
be  acted,  or  represented  by  "  Dumb  Motions."  They  then 
advance  to  the  other  side,  and  one  of  them  calls  out  the  first 
and  last  letter  of  the  name  of  the  trade  they  are  about  to 

represent.     Thus,  suppose  it  to  be  B — '■ ^r,  (Bricklayer)  ; 

some  of  the  players  imitate  with  their  hands  the  spreading 
of  mortar  and  laying  of  bricks  j  another  appears  to  carry 

on  his  shoulder  the  hod,  &c.    Or,  if  the  letters  be  S n, 

(Stonemason),  some  appear  to  be  chipping  stone,  and  others 
sit  as  if  they  were  sawing  stone  :  the  more  mechanical  the 
trade  the  better.  Each  of  the  opposite  side  then  guesses 
within  a  few  minutes,  and  if  neither  be  correct,  the  trade 
is  named  by  the  "in"  party,  who  choose  another  trade. 
But,  should  the  trade  be  rightly  guessed,  the  sides  change 
places.  Should  either  of  the  side  misrepresent  the  trade, 
or  speak  during  the  work,  or  name  the  letters  incorrectly, 
the  whole  side  are  out,  and  a  workman  is  not  unfrequently 
thrown  off  his  guard,  by  the  opposite  party  asking  him  a 
question,  which,  if  he  answer,  he  is  at  fault.  Sometimes, 
the  working  side  are  called  men,  and  those  who  gueea  an 
masters. 


DBAWINO    THE    OVEN.  & 

SNAP-APPLE. 
This  is  a  Christmas  sport,  and  is  played  as  follows :  An 
apple  is  fixed  upon  one  end  of  a  short  stick,  to  the  other 
extremity  of  which  is  fastened  a  lighted  candle.  A  string 
U  then  tied  to  the  middle  of  the  stick,  by  which  it  is  sus- 
pended from  the  ceiling  at  such  a  height  that  the  young 
people  may  catch  or  "  bob"  at  it  with  their  mouths,  their 
hands  being  tied  behind  their  backs. 

SNAP-DRAGON 
Is  another  Christmas  pastime.  A  dish  of  raisins  being 
prepared,  some  heated  brandy  or  spirits  of  wine  is  poured 
over  the  fruit,  and  then  set  on  fire,  the  other  lights  in  the 
room  being  extinguished.  The  young  folks  then  stand  round 
the  dish  to  pluck  out  the  lighted  raisins,  and  eat  them  as 
hastily  as  they  can,  but  rarely  without  warming  their  hands 
and  mouths.  The  blue  flames  of  that  burning  spirit,  and 
the  singular  and  spectral  appearance  which  they  give  to  the 
faces  of  the  busy  crowd,  are  a  source  of  considerable  mer- 
riment. 

DRAWING  THE  OYEN. 
Let  any  number  of  boys  seat  themselves,  one  behind  the 
other  on  the  ground,  and  clasp  each  other  round  the  waist  j 
two  players  should  then  take  hold  of  the  foremost  sitter, 
by  both  his  hands,  and  endeavour  to  detach  him  from  the 
line,  by  pulling  away  vigorously.     When  they  have  sue- 


12  MINOR    gPORTS. 

ceeded  in  doing  this,  they  take  hold  of  the  second  sitter  in 
the  same  manner,  and  so  continue  **  drawing  the  oven," 
until  they  have  drawn  all  the  players  from  the  ground. 
This  game  is  also  called  "  Jack,  Jack,  the  bread  burns." 

HOPPING  BASES. 

Sides  are  chosen,  and  each  player  has  his  opponent;  and 
the  parties  enter  their  bases  formed  by  a  line  drawn  the 
length  of  the  ground.  Each  player  then  folds  his  arms,  hops 
on  one  leg,  and  strives  to  get  into  the  opposite  base ;  which 
should  he  do,  the  vanquished  one  must  retire  from  the  game. 
The  victor  in  this  instance  may  then  return  to  aid  his  own 
party ;  and  the  game  is  won  by  those  who,  whilst  hopping, 
take  entire  possession  of  the  enemy's  base.  Should  any 
player  drop  the  leg,  he  is  out  of  the  game. 

WHOOP. 
One  player  takes  his  station  at  a  spot  called  the  "  home," 
while  the  others  go  to  seek  out  various  hiding-places  in  which 
to  ensconce  themselves;  when  all  are  ready,  one  of  them 
calls  out  "  Whoop !"  on  which  the  player  at  the  "  home" 
instantly  goes  in  search  of  the  hiders,  and  endeavours  to 
touch  one  of  them,  as  they  all  run  back  to  "  home ;"  if  he 
can  do  so,  the  one  caught  takes  his  post  at  the  home,  and 
he  joins  the  out-players. 


TAG    OR    TOUCH.  |p 

FRENCH  AND  ENGLISH. 

This  is  an  exceedingly  lively  and  amusing  game :  it  is 
played  by  two  parties,  as  nearly  equal  in  numbers  and 
strength  as  can  be  mustered ;  one  party  take  hold  of  one 
end  of  a  strong  rope,  whilst  their  antagonists  take  hold  of 
the  other  J  each  party  then  strive  to  pull  the  other  over  a 
line  chalked  or  marked  on  the  ground  for  the  purpose,  and 
those  who  are  so  pulled  over,  being  made  prisoners,  lose 
the  game. 

TAG  OR  TOUCH. 

Any  number  of  boys  can  play  at  this  game,  which  is  an 
exceedingly  spirited  one.  One  of  the  players  undertakes 
to  be  "  Tag,"  or  "  Touch,"  and  endeavours  to  touch  one  of 
the  others  as  they  are  running  about  in  all  directions,  try- 
ing to  avoid  him  as  much  as  possible ;  if  he  can  touch  one, 
the  player  caught  becomes  Touch,  a||d  in  his  turn  strives 
to  touch  one  of  his  fellow-players.  ^'TDuch  iron"  and 
"  Touch  wood"  are  frequently  called :  and  when  the  boys 
can  touch  either  iron  or  wood,  Touch  has  no  power  over 
them ;  but  the  moment  they  quit  either,  they  may  be 
"touched;"  and  sometimes  a  Touch  makes  prisoners. 

CROSS-TOUCH. 

In  this  sport,  when  Touch  is  following  one  player,  another 
runs  across  his  path,  between  him  and  the  party  pursued ; 


it  MINOR     SPORTS. 

upon  which  Touch  must  immediately  run  after  the  one  who 
crossed,  until  some  other  crossing  between  them,  mu?ftj  in 
his  turn,  be  followed ;  and  so  it  continues  changing,  until 
Touch  catches  one,  who  takes,  of  course,  the  office  of  Touch, 
and  the  game  is  continued  as  before. 

HUNT  THE  HARE. 

One  boy  is  chosen  "  Hare,"  and  runs  out,  when,  his  com- 
rades having  given  him  "  law,"  that  is,  time  to  run  a  cer- 
tain distance,  they  then  give  chase  and  endeavour  to  catch 
Hare  before  he  returns  home. 

BASTE  THE  BEAR. 

The  players  toss  up  for  the  first  Bear,  who  kneels  on  the 
ground  within  a  marked  circlo ;  each  selects  his  own  master, 
whose  office  it  is  to  hold  him  •by  a  rope,  and  use  his  utmost 
efibrts  to  touch  one  of  the  other  players,  as  they  try  to 
*'  baste"  the  Bear  "ith  their  handkerchiefs  knotted  and 
twisted  very  tightly.  If  the  Bear's  master  can  touch  one 
of  the  assailants  without  dragging  the  Bear  out  of  the  ring 
or  letting  the  rope  fall,  the  boy  touched  becomes  Bear, 
selects  his  keeper  as  before  mentioned,  and  the  sport  is 
continued. 

HIDE  AND  SEEK. 
Tn  this  game  one  of  the  players  hides  a  handkerchief,  or 


DUCK    STONE. 


« 


any  little  article  which  can  be  easily  secreted,  and  then 
desires  the  other  players  to  find  it ;  the  successful  seeker, 
in  his  turn,  hiding  the  same  thing  next  time.  Wh';n  the 
seekers  approach  the  place  of  concealment,  the  player  who 
hides  the  article  must  answer  their  questions,  whether  "they 
burn ;"  and  on  the  contrary,  when  they  wander  from  it,  he 
ehould  tell  them  that  they  "  freeze."  The  Greeks  had  a 
pastime  similar  to  our  Hide  and  Seek :  a  boy  seated  him- 
self in  the  midst  of  his  comrades,  and  closed  his  eyes,  or 
was  blindfolded  by  the  hand  of  another,  whilst  the  rest 
concealed  themselves  j  and  he  who  was  first  found  by  him 
after  he  was  permitted  to  rise,  took  his  place.  There  is 
another  kind  of  Hide  and  Seek,  called  also  Whoop  and 
Hide ;  where  one  party  of  boys  remain  at  "  home,"  while 
the  others  go  out  and  hide  themselves ;  when  they  are  hid, 
one  of  them  cries  "  Whoop,"  as  a  signal  for  those  at  home 
to  seek  after  them.  If  the  hidden  caD^scape  the  vigilance 
of  the  seeker,  and  reach  home  unseen,  they  go  out  to  hide 
again;  but  so  many  of  them  as  are  caught,  on  the  contrary, 
become  seekers,  and  those  who  catch  them  have  the  privi- 
lege of  hiding  themselves. 

DUCK  STONE. 

This  game  cannot  be  played  by  fewer  than  three  boys ; 
and  if  the  number  be  eight  or  ten,  its  interest  and  liveliness 
are  increased.     It  should  not,  however,  be  played  roughly 


46  MINOR     SPORTS. 

or  carelessly,  as  the  players,  through  negligence,  may  injure 
each  other  from  the  weight  of  the  stones,  and  the  force  with 
which  they  must  be  cast.     A  large  smooth  and  flat-topped 
Btone  is  placed  on  the  ground,  and  at  about  six  or  eight 
yards  distance  is  marked  *'  home."    Each  player  next  pro- 
vides himself  with  a  pebble  stone  somewhat  larger  than  a 
cricket-ball  j    and  the  game  is  begun  by  "  pinking' '   for 
"  duck,"  i.  e.  by  all  standing  at  the  "  home,"  and  throwing 
their  pebbles  in  succession  at  the  large  stone;    and  the 
player  whose  pebble  falls  or  rolls  furthest  from  the  large 
one,  becomes  Duck,  and  must  place  his  stone  on  it.     The 
other  players  next  cast  their  pebbles  at  it  singly,  from  the 
"  home,"  and  then  hasten  to  pick  up  their  pebbles,  so  as  to 
throw  again ;  but,  if  Duck  can  touch  either  of  them  before 
he  reaches  "  home,"  and  should  Duck's  own  pebble  not  be 
knocked  off  the  large  scone,  then  the  thrower  thus  touched 
becomes   Duck ;    IV';  if  lie  be  quick,  he  may  call   out 
"  Double  duck"  before  Duck  is  able  to  kick  his  own  pebble 
off  the  large  stone,  or  cry  out  "Feign  double  duck,"  in 
which  case  both  the  "  ducks"  are  to  be  placed  on  the  stone 
together.     Sometimes,  the  "duck"  remains  on  the  stone 
after  four  or  five  have  thrown  at  it,  when  they  allow  their 
pebbles  to  rest,  but  in  attempting  to  pick  them  up.  Duck 
may  touch  either  of  the  throwers ;  till,  at  length,  another 
player  knocks  Duck's  pebble  from  off  the  large  stone;  and 


SADDLE   MY   NAG.  4.7 

as  no  one  can  be  touched  until  it  has  been  replaced  the 
several  players  gain  time  to  pick  up  their  pebbles,  and  reach 
**home"  for  safety.  Should  all  the  players  ha\^  throTvil 
without  being  able  to  knock  the  "  duck"  oflF,  it  is  frequently 
proposed  by  one,  or  more,  to  Duck,  to  take  either  a 
"  heeler,"  a  "  sling,"  or  a  "  jump,"  towards  "  home,"  in 
order  that  the]'  may  have  a  chance  of  reaching  it.  The 
"  heeler"  is  performed  by  kicking  the  stone  backward  toward 
"  home ;"  the  "  sling,"  by  putting  the  stone  on  the  middle 
of  the  right  foot,  and  slinging  it  in  the  direction  of  **  home;" 
and  the  "jump,"  by  placing  the  stone  between  the  feet, 
and  holding  it  there,  while  a  jump  is  taken,  and  the  stone 
let  fall,  so  that  it  may  roll  forward ;  if  the  stone  be  so  far 
from  "  home,"  that  one  sling,  jump,  or  heeler  will  not 
suffice,  two,  or  more  of  each  may  be  taken,  provided  Duck 
allows  it ;  but  if  the  player  does  not  reach  "  home"  in  the 
number  of  slings,  &c.,  agreed  on,  he  bwomes  Duck. 

SADDLE  MY  NAG. 
Two  leaders  should  toss  up  for  choice  of  sides,  and  each 
having  selected  six  or  eight  partners,  they  should  toss  again 
for  innings ;  the  loser  must  then  place  himself  quite  upright, 
with  his  face  to  a  wall,  against  which  he  rests  his  hands, 
and  one  of  his  partners  should  next  stoop  down,  and  pit 
his  head  against  his  leader's  skirts ;  another  partner  ali»o 
bendi,  and  places  his  head  against  the  skirts  of  the  second 


48  MINOR    SPORTS 

player,  and  the  rest  of  the  partners  must  take  their  place* 
in  the  same  manner,  one  behind  the  other;  when  thus 
ranged  they  are  called  "  Nags."  One  of  the  winning  party 
next  runs,  and  placing  his  hands  on  the  back  of  the  last 
Nag,  cries  "  Warning,"  endeavours  to  spring  on  to  the  back 
of  the  first,  or  at  least  to  clear  as  many  Nags  as  he  can,  so 
as  to  leave  room  for  those  following  him  to  leap  on  the  backa 
of  the  other  Nags,  until  they  are  all  ftiirly  astride.  If  any 
of  the  Nags  sink  under  the  weight,  or  in  trying  to  support 
themselves,  touch  the  ground  either  with  their  hands  or 
knees, — or  if  the  riders  can  keep  their  seats  without  touch- 
ing the  ground,  whilst  their  leader  counts  twenty, — the 
riders  resume  their  innings,  and  begin  again;  but"~should 
there  not  be  sufficient  space  for  all  to  leap  on,  or  they  are 
unable  to  keep  their  seats  on  the  backs  of  the  Nags,  they 
lose  their  innings,  and  become  Nags  in  their  turn.  The 
Nags  may  also  cry^"  Weak  horse  I"  when,  if  the  riders  do 
not  instantly  dismount,  t/iei/  must  become  Nags. 

BUCK 

Is  played  by  two  boys,  pretty  nearly  equal  in  size  and 
strength ;  while  a  third  is  appointed  umpire,  to  see  that  the 
rules  are  correctly  followed,  aud  no  unfair  advantage  taken. 
One  player  then  gives  a  back,  that  is,  stooping  down,  as  in 
leap-frog,  and  resting  his  head  against  a  wall;  the  other 
player  then  springs  on  his  back,  and  holding  up  as  many 


prisoner's  base.  4$ 

fingera  as  he  pleases,  calls  out  "  Buck,  Buck,  how  many 
horns  do  I  hold  up  V  Buck  endeavours  to  guess  the  pro- 
bable number ;  if  his  guess  be  incorrect,  the  nd^  r  gets  down, 
leaps  on  again,  holds  up  his  fingers,  and  repeats  the  question 
as  before ;  and  so  continues,  until  Buck  names  the  right 
number,  when  the  rider  must  take  the  place  of  Buck,  and 
Buck  in  turn  jump  on  his  back.  It  is,  of  course,  unneces- 
sary to  hold  up  the  same  number  of  fingers  every  time  the 
question  is  asked.  Buck  is  usually  blindfolded  to  prevent 
foul  play,  but  this  precaution  is  not  requisite.  »» 

PRISONER'S  BASE 

Is  a  very  lively  and  amusing  game,  and  is  played  as  follows : 
Two  captains  being  appointed,  they  "deep"  for  partners, 
I.  e.  they  advance  towards  each  other,  by  bringing,  alter- 
nately, the  heel  of  one  foot  to  the  toe  of  the  other,  until  at 
last  there  be  not  room  for  one  of  them  to  put  his  foot  down 
between  the  toe  of  his  opponent  and  his  own ;  this  player 
has  the  first  choice  of  partners.  The  best  number  for  this 
game  is  seven  or  eight  players  on  each  side,  although  it  may 
be  played  with  either  more  or  less.  The  bases  are  then 
drawn  at  one  end  of  the  ground,  and  are  divided  by  a  line, 
on  each  side  of  which  the  players  stand.  At  some  distance 
are  marked  the  prisons,  generally  in  corners  of  the  ground ; 
the  piison  of  one  party  facing  the  base  of  its  opponents,  and 
lying  crosswise  from  the  base  of  its  own  party.  .  .^ 

4 


^0  MINOR    SPORTS. 

The  game  is  begun  by  a  player  from  one  side  running 
out  between  the  bases  and  the  prisons,  when  he  is  quickly 
followed  by  one  of  the  opposite  party,  who  endeavours  to 
catch  him ;  a  partner  of  the  first  player  next  dashes  out  to 
capture  the  second,  and  so  on,  both  sides  sending  out  as 
many  of  their  partners  as  they  please,  to  touch  or  take  their 
opponents.  But  a  player  must  not  touch  any  one  who 
started  after  him,  although  the  latter  may,  if  he  can,  touch 
him  before  he  gets  back  to  his  own  base ;  but  if  a  player 
has  taken  a  prisoner,  he  cannot  be  touched  in  making  his 
way  back  to  his  base  again.  A  player  can  touch  only  one 
of  his  opponents  each  time  he  leaves  his  base ;  and  every 
prisoner  must  be  taken  to  the  prison  of  the  opposite  party, 
where  he  remains  till  one  of  his  own  partners  can  manage 
to  touch  him ;  and  this  may  be  aided  by  the  several  pri- 
soners holding  each  other  by  the  hand  in  an  extended  line, 
BO  as  to  reduce  the  distance  from  the  base.  The  player 
coming  to  rescue  the  captive  must  also  have  started  from 
his  base  after  the  other  has  been  taken  ;  and  the  released 
prisoner  and  his  companion  are  not  allowed  to  touch  any 
one,  or  to  be  touched,  as  they  return  home.  The  victors 
are  those  who  can  contrive,  at  the  same  period,  to  make  all 
their  opponents  prisoners.  Or,  instead  of  the  prisoners 
being  rescued,  they  are  drafted  into  the  enemy's  base,  and 
the  game  is  terminated  by  all  the  players  thus  passing  tc 
»ne  side. 


STAG   OUT.  51 

PrisDner's  Base  is  mentioned  in  proclamations  in  the 
reign  of  Edward  III. ;  and  Shakspeare  speaks  of  "  the 
country  base."  The  game  was  formerly  played  by  men, 
especially  in  Cheshire,  and  the  adjoining  counties. 

BUSHING  BASES. 

Draw  two  bases,  with  a  wide  space  between  them.  All 
the  players  then  station  themselves  in  one  base,  except  one 
boy,  to  be  "  King  Caesar,"  by  choice  or  otherwise,  and  he 
places  himself  midway  between  the  bases.  The  men  then 
attempt  to  run  from  one  base  to  the  other,  and  the  King 
strives  to  catch  them ;  and  whenever  he  takes  one,  he  claps 
him  on  the  head  and  cries  thrice,  "  Crown  thee.  King 
Caesar !"  and  he  must  thenceforth  assist  his  Majesty  in 
catching  the  rest  of  the  men,  each  of  whom  must,  as  he  is 
taken,  join  the  royal  party;  the  last  man  captured  being 
King  for  the  next  game.  The  crowning  must  be  distinctly 
pronounced  thrice,  else  the  captive  can  be  demanded  by  his 
party 

STAG  OUT. 
A  line  should  be  drawn  on  the  ground,  at  a  little  distance 
from  a  wall,  to  form  "  the  bounds,"  and  within  which  one 
of  the  players,  as  the  "stag,"  stations  himself;  he  then 
springs  out,  with  his  hands  clasped  firmly  together,  and  en- 
deavours to  touch  one  of  the  other  players,  who  all  run 


52  MINOR   SPORTS. 

from  hiiu  Should  he  succeed  in  touching  one,  he  rides  on 
his  back  home  to  the  "bounds,"  and  the  player  thuu 
touched  becomes  Stag. 

WARNING ! 

Any  number  may  play  at  this  game.  A  base  should  be 
drawn  at  about  four  feet  from  a  wall,  within  which  one  of 
the  players  takes  his  station,  and  after  calling  out,  "  Warn- 
ing, once ;  warning,  twice ;  warning,  thrice ;  a  bushel  of 
wheat,  a  bushel  of  rye ;  when  the  cock  crows  out  jump  I. 
Cock-a-doodle-doo !" — he  jumps  out  and  runs  after  the 
others;  if  he  touch  one,  they  bath  return  to  the  bounds, 
where  they  unite  hands,  and  after  crying  "Warning!" 
only,  rush  out  again,  and  each  strives  to  touch  an  opponent ; 
if  they  can  achieve  this,  they  all  return  and  join  hands  as 
before ;  the  next  time  they  sally  forth,  the  outside  players 
only  try  to  touch ;  of  course,  every  one  they  touch  returns 
to  "bounds"  with  them,  and  joins  the  line.  Should  the 
out-players  attack,  break  the  line,  and  put  the  party  to 
the  rout,  which  it  is  always  their  object  to  do,  the  discom- 
fited players  must  scamper  back  to  "  bounds ;"  thi."  the 
out-players  endeavour  to  prevent  by  capturing  them,  which, 
if  they  can  accomplish,  the  captives  are  compelled  to  carry 
their  captors  back  to  bounds.  After  a  player  has  sallied 
from  the  bounds,  and  has  touched  one  of  the  out-players,  he 
should  run  home  with  all  speed,  to  avoid  being  caught  by 


LEAP-PROO.  Ift 

tlieir  opponents.     When  three  players  have  l»een  tonched, 
the  one  who  began  the  game  may  join  the  out  party. 

SEE-SAW. 

For  this  amusement  a  stout  plank  should  he  laid  across  a 
felled  tree  or  a  dwarf  wall ;  it  must  be  very  nicely  balanced 
if  the  players  be  of  the  same  weight,  but  if  one  be  heavier 
than  the  other,  the  end  on  which  he  intends  to  sit,  should 
be  the  shortest.  Two  players  then  take  their  seats  on  the 
plank,  one  at  each  end,  whilst  a  third  stations  himself  on 
the  middle  of  it;  the  name  of  this  player  is,  in  some  places, 
"Jack  o'  both  Sides,"  and  in  others  "Pudding."  As  the 
players  by  turns  make  slight  springs  from  their  toes,  they 
are  each  alternately  elevated  and  depressed ;  and  it  is  the 
duty  of  Pudding  to  assist  these  movements  by  bearing  all 
his  weight  on  the  foot  on  the  highest  end  of  the  plank,  be- 
yond the  centre  of  the  tree  or  wall  on  which  it  rests. 

A  see-saw  is  one  of  the  earliest  lessons  in  mechanics. 
The  cross  plank  is  the  lever,  or  first  mechanical  power;  and 
its  supporter,  the  felled  tree,  is  the  fulcrum,  or  prop  by 
which  the  Uver  is  sustained.  A  reckoning-stone  is  a  natural 
see- saw. 

LEAP-FROG. 
This  game  will  be  best  understood  by  supposing  that  eight 
boys  are  playing  at  it :  seven  of  them  stand  in  i  row,  about 


54  MINOR      SPORTS. 

cSghteen  feet  apart,  with  their  sides  to  the  leapers,  hands 
on  their  knees,  body  doubled,  and  head  bent  down.  The 
eighth  player  then  takes  a  short  run,  and,  placing  his 
hands  on  the  back  of  the  first  player,  leaps  over  him, 
then  over  the  second,  and,  in  like  manner,  over  all  the 
other  players,  one  after  the  other;  he  then  places  him- 
self down  in  the  line,  in  the  proper  position,  and  at  the 
right  distance  from  the  last  player ;  the  first  over  whom  he 
jumped,  rises  immediately  he  has  passed,  and  follows  him 
over  the  second,  third,  &c.,  who  all  rise  in  succession,  and 
leap  in  their  turn ;  and  after  they  have  successively  jumped 
over  the  last  players,  they  place  themselves  down  in  the 
line,  as  before  described ;  and  the  game  continues.  Some 
players  stand  with  their  backs  to  the  leapers,  instead  of 
their  sides  j  the  mode  is  optional,  although  in  some  places 
it  is  usual  to  compel  those  who  can  jump  over  the  head, 
to  do  so. 

FLY  THE  GARTER. 

Chalk  or  make  a  line,  or  "  the  garter,"  on  the  ground ; 
on  this  line  one  of  the  players  must  place  himself  and  bend 
down  as  in  leap-frog,  while  the  other  players  in  rotation 
leap  over  him ;  the  last  one,  as  he  flies  over,  calling  out 
"  Foot  it ;"  if  he  should  fail  in  giving  this  notice,  he  is  out, 
and  must  take  the  other  boy's  place  at  the  garter  :  the  boy. 
iaamediately  the  word  is  given,  rises,  and  places  his  right 


BtJCK    AND    DRAKE.  5S 

heel  close  to  the  middle  of  the  left  foot,  he  next  moves  the 
left  forwards  and  places  that  heel  close  up  to  the  toes  of  his 
right  foot,  and  bends  down  as  before ;  this  movement  is 
called  a  "  step,"  and  is  repeated  three  times.  The  other 
players  should  fly  from  the  garter  each  time  a  step  is  made, 
and  the  last  player  must  invariably  call  out  "  Foot  it,"  as 
he  leaps  over.  After  making  the  three  "  steps,"  the  player 
giving  the  back  takes  a  short  run;  and,  from  the  spot 
where  he  made  his  last  step,  he  jumps  as  far  forwards  as  he 
possibly  can,  and  bends  down  again;  the  others  jump 
from  the  garter,  and  then  fly  over.  Should  any  of  the 
players  be  unable  to  jump  easily  over  the  one  giving  the 
back,  and  rather  slide  down  upon,  or  ride  on  him,  the  player 
so  failing  must  take  the  other's  place  at  the  garter,  and  the 
game  be  recommenced;  if,  also,  through  the  impetus 
acquired  in  taking  the  jump  from  the  garter,  a  player  should 
happen  to  place  his  hands  on  the  back  of  the  player  bending 
down,  and  then  withdraw  them  in  order  to  take  the  spring 
over,  he  is  out,  and  must  take  his  turn  at  the  garter.  Some- 
times, the  boy  giving  the  back  takes  a  hop,  step,  and  a 
jump  after  he  has  footed  it  three  times;  the  other  players 
doing  the  same,  and  then  flying  over. 

DUCK  AND  DRAKE 

Is  played  by  "  shying"  bits  of  slate,  or  tile,  the  flat  sheila 
of  oysters,  or  thin  smooth  stones,  on  the  surface  of  a  pond 


66  MINOR     SPORTS. 

Whatever  is  used  should  be  "  shied"  so  that  it  may  merelj 
touch  the  surface  of  the  water,  otherwise  it  will  not  rebound 
several  times,  which  it  is  the  aim  of  the  player  to  make  it 
do  ',  if  it  rebound  once,  it  is  a  "  Dick ;"  if  twice,  a  "  Duck  >" 
if  thrice,  a  "  Dick,  Duck,  and  Drake ;"  and  that  player  wins 
the  game  whose  slate  or  shell  rebounds  the  oftenest. 

KING  OF  THE  CASTCE. 

One  player  stations  himself  on  a  mound  of  earth,  or  emi- 
nence, and  styles  himself  "  King  of  the  Castle  :"  from  this 
station  his  playmates  endeavour  singly  to  pull  or  push  him 
off,  whilst  he  exerts  his  utmost  efforts  to  repel  thein,  and 
maintain  his  position.  Whichever  player  dethrones  the 
king,  takes  his  place. 

DROPPING  THE  HANDKERCHIEF. 

A  tolerably  large  ring  should  be  formed  by  several  boys 
joining  hands :  when  all  are  ready,  another  boy  who  stands 
out,  walks  round  outside  the  ring,  drops  a  handkerchief 
behind  one  of  the  players,  and  immediately  runs  off;  he  is 
instantly  followed  by  the  boy  behind  whom  he  dropped  the 
handkerchief,  and  who  must  track  him  in  all  his  windings 
in  and  out,  under  the  raised  arms  of  the  boys  in  the  ring, 
and  indeed  wherever  he  runs ;  should  the  pursuer  touch  the 
pursued,  the  former  takes  the  handkerchief  in  his  turn,  and 
the  latter  joins  hands  in  the  circle.     If  the  boy  who  dropped 


TWO   TO    ONE.  67 

the  handkercbief  be  enabled  to  elude  his  follower  by  passing 
through  and  about  the  ring,  the  latter  walks  round  again, 
and  drops  it  behind  some  other  player. 

HOP,  STEP,  AND  JUMP, 
Is  a  trial  as  to  which  of  the  players  can  go  over  the  greatest 
space  of  ground  in  a  hop,  step,  and  a  jump,  made  one  after 
the  other,  without  stopping.  They  may  be  commenced  either 
with  a  short  run,  or  else  standing,  at  the  option  of  the 
players. 

CASTING  THE  BALL. 
Casting  the  wooden  ball  is  an  excellent  recreation.  A 
bowl  similar  in  pattern  to  those  used  in  skittle-alleys — not 
those  used  for  nine-pins — should  be  procured;  it  must  not, 
however,  be  so  large  nor  so  heavy  as  the  bowls  used  by  men, 
neither  should  the  finger-holes  be  so  wide  apart ;  and  the 
size  and  weight  should  always  be  adapted  to  the  size  of  the 
person  using  it.  In  casting  the  ball,  put  your  thumb  in  one 
of  the  holes,  and  your  middle  or  forefinger  in  another,  and 
then  throw  it  underhanded  either  to  a  mark,  or  at  random 
to  a  distance. 

/TWO  TO  ONE. 

Two  to  One  is  a  capital  exercise  with  a  common  skipping- 
rope.  It  is  done  by  skipping  iu  the  usual  way  for  a  short 
time,  and  then  increasing  the  rapidity  of  your  movements, 


58  MINOR    SPORTS. 

and  leaping  tolerably  high ;  at  the  same  time,  endeavouring 
to  swing  the  rope  round  so  quickly,  as  to  pass  it  twice  under 
your  feet  whilst  leaping :  practise  this  until  you  are  profi- 
cient, and  then  try  to  pass  the  rope  three  times  under  your 
feet  instead  of  twice. 

LONG  ROPE. 

The  rope  is  held  each  end  by  a  boy,  and  turned  pretty 
regularly ;  and,  when  the  line  is  at  its  highest,  one,  two,  or 
more  boys  step  forward  between  the  holders,  and  jump  up 
as  the  rope  descends,  so  as  to  let  it  pass  under  their  feet  like 
the  common  skipping-rope.  The  leapers  should  keep  time 
with  the  turns  of  the  rope ;  and,  if  it  touch  either  of  them, 
he  must  change  places  with  one  of  the  holders.  Another 
game  may  be  played  by  holding  a  long  skipping-rope  at 
one  end  in  the  outside  hand,  making  a  step  or  two  towards 
the  other  player,  with  his  "help"  at  the  other  end  swinging 
it  round,  and  then  skipping  over  it. 

THE  SNOW  STATUE. 

Making  a  snow  statue  forms  a  capital  amusement  when 
the  fields  "  put  on  their  winter's  robe  of  purest  white,"  and 
the  icicles  hang  glistening  from  the  eaves.  In  order  to  amass 
snow  enough  for  the  purpose,  it  should  be  swept  up  into  one 
spot,  or,  to  insure  the  snow  being  clean,  a  large  snow-ball 
ehould  be  made,  and  rolled  about  until  it  becomes  huge  and 


THE   SNOW   STATUE  59 

unwieldy.  The  material  being  thus  provided,  the  statue 
should  be  rounded  and  shaped  as  neatly  as  possible ;  and, 
if  the  young  artists  possess  ingenuity  enough  to  make  their 
work  look  something  like  a  man,  and  not  a  heap  of  snow, 
so  much  the  better.  The  modellers  now,  by  common  con- 
sent, withdraw  to  a  stated  distance  and  begin  to  pelt  theii 
handy-work  with  snow-balls,  until  the  gigantic  figure  falls, 
feature  by  feature,  amidst  the  shouts  of  the  joyous  throng. 

A  lively  game  is  likewise  aflForded  by  one  party  building 
a  fortification  of  snow,  behind  which  they  post  themselves ; 
and,  having  provided  themselves  with  snow-balls,  they  repel 
the  attacks  of  another  party  from  without,  who  endeavour 
to  drive  them  from  the  work,  by  pelting  them  vigorously 
with  snow-balls  J  the  besieged,  of  course,  returning  the 
shower  of  balls.  These  balls  should  not,  however,  be  pressed 
too  tight,  else  they  may  be  so  hard  as  to  render  the  mimic 
siege  a  dangerous  one.  «. 

Sir  Walter  Scott  relates  of  Napoleon  Buonaparte,  that 
when  at  school  in  Brienne,  he,  one  winter's  day,  engaged 
his  companions  in  the  play-ground  in  constructing  a  fortress 
out  of  the  snow,  regularly  defended  by  ditches  and  bas- 
tions, according  to  the  rules  of  fortification.  It  was  attacked 
and  defended  by  the  students,  who  divided  into  parties  for 
the  purpose,  until  the  battle  became  so  keen  that  their  supe- 
riors thought  it  proper  to  proclaim  a  truce. 


60  MINOR    SPORTS. 

SNOW  AND  ICE   HOUSES. 

Tbe  building  of  houses  with  snow,  which  boys  sometimei 
practise  as  a  pastime  in  this  country,  is  a  matter  of  neces- 
sity in  the  Arctic  regions.  Sir  John  Ross  tells  us  that  in 
the  newly  discovered  peninsula  of  Boothia,  the  poor  Esqui- 
maux build  villages  of  snow  huts,  having  the  appearance 
of  inverted  basins,  and  lit  by  windows  of  clear  ice.  They 
are  built  with  wedge-shaped  blocks  of  snow,  the  joints  being 
also  fitted  in  with  snow ;  and  so  rapidly  is  this  done,  that 
a  house  is  often  roofed  within  an  hour ;  and  a  tent  is  scarcely 
built  in  less  time.  The  Esquimaux  children  have  also  a  toy 
architecture  of  their  own,  and  build  houses  with  equal  dex- 
terity. 

We  read,  too,  of  mansions  being  built  entirely  of  ice,  in 
some  northern  countries.  Such  was  the  magnificent  ice- 
palace  of  the  Empress  Anne,  which  was  erected  at  St. 
Petersburg,  in  January,  1740.  It  was  56  feet  in  length, 
and  21  feet  high ;  it  was  built  of  the  most  transparent  ice, 
cut  from  the  Neva  in  large  blocks,  which  were  squared  with 
rule  and  compass;  and  water  being  poured  between  the 
blocks,  it  froze  and  served  as  cement  or  mortar  The  inte- 
rior was  completely  fitted  up ;  a  bed-room  had  a  suite  of 
furniture  entirely  in  ice.  On  the  outside  of  the  palace 
were  cannons  and  mortars  from  which  iron  balls  were  fired. 
The  whole  fabric  lasted  about  ten  weeks,  and  then  melted 
away.     In  the  same  year,  a  winter  of  unusual  seventy,  a 


HIPPAS.  61 

German  carvsd  in  ice  at  the  gate  of  Holstein,  in  Lubeck,  a 
lion  seven  feet  long,  surrounded  by  a  bulwark  of  ice,  on 
which  were  placed  five  cannons,  a  soldier,  and  a  sentry-box, 
all  of  ice. 

FOLLOW  MY   LEADER. 

A  spirited  boy  should  be  chosen  as  Leader,  and  the  other 
players  must  follow  him  in  a  line  :  he  commences  the  game 
by  jumping,  running,  hopping,  or  getting  over  any  obstacle 
that  may  present  itself,  and  then  continues  his  course, 
Bcrambling  over  everything,  and  varying  his  actions  as 
much  as  possible ;  all  his  followers  must  strictly  follow 
"the  lead  :"  thus,  if  he  jump  over  a  ditch,  they  must  clear 
it ;  if  over  a  gate,  they  must  do  that  also ;  and  in  eveiy- 
thing  folloio  or  imitate  him  as  closely  as  possible.  If  any 
player  fail  in  performing  the  task,  he  must  take  his  place 
behind  all  the  rest,  until  some  other  player  makes  a  blunder, 
and  in  his  turn  goes  last. 

HIPPAS. 

This  pastime  consists  in  one  boy  endeavouring  to  pull 
another  from  the  shoulders  of  a  third  player,  who  carries 
him  as  on  horseback  :  if  he  pull  his  opponent  oflF,  ho  takes 
his  place.  This  game  should  not  be  played  on  rough  or 
•tony  ground,  but  upon  soft  turf. 


IJS  MINOR     SPORTS. 

WALK!  MY  LADY,  WALK! 

This  game  may  be  played  by  any  number  of  boys,  who 
ill  tie  large  knots  in  one  corner  of  their  pocket-handker- 
ehiefs,  and  then  toss  up  a  halfpenny,  to  see  who  shall  be 
"  My  Lady ;"  the  loser  is  the  one  to  whom  the  part  falls, 
lud  he  must  be  blin  Ifolded  and  stand  a  little  on  one  side, 
irhile  the  others  go  in  succession  to  a  spot  marked  on  the 
ground,  and  jerk  their  handkerchiefs  between  their  legs,  as 
far  bfhind  them  as  they  possibly  can,  and  in  whatever  direc- 
tion they  please.  When  all  the  boys  have  done  this,  My 
Lady  is  conducted  to  the  place  marked  on  the  ground,  and 
desired  to  "  Walk !  my  Lady,  Walk !"  which  she,  or  Ae  rather, 
complies  with  by  advancing  until  he  treads  on  one  of  the 
'kerchiefs,  when  instantly  the  other  players  pick  up  theii 
handkerchiefs  and  compel  the  unlucky  owner  of  the  one 
trodden  upon  by  the  Lady,  to  run  the  gauntlet  of  a  good 
drubbing  from  the  knotted  end  of  theirs ;  after  which  ha 
becomes  the  Lady,  and  the  game  continues  as  before. 

THE  SWING. 
To  a  timber  beam,  or  the  stout  limb  of  a  tree,  fasten  twvy 
strong  ropes  of  equal  lengths,  and  at  the  ends  of  them  tie  a 
seat  as  firmly  as  possible.  A  player  takes  his  place  on  the 
scat,  and  motion  is  then  given  to  the  swing  by  another 
player  pulling  a  rope  attached  to  the  back  of  the  seat,  ll 
putting"  up  the  swing,  care  should  be  taken  that  the  ropoB, 


SLIDING.  63' 

and  whatever  they  are  fastened  to,  are  strong  enough,  and 
that  there  is  nothing  in  the  way  which  might  be  the  means 
of  causing  mischief  to  the  swinger. 

THE  PULLEY. 
Fasten  a  pulley  to  a  horizontal  beam  of  wood,  by  a  staple, 
or  to  the  strong  branch  of  a  tree ;  pass  a  rope  through  it, 
and  at  each  end  of  the  rope  tie  a  cross  piece  of  wood;  two 
boys  must  take  firm  hold  of  these  pieces,  one  should  lie 
down  on  his  back,  and  let  the  other  pull  him  up  by  sinking 
himself  as  he  elevates  his  playmate;  in  his  turn,  he  is 
raised  in  the  same  manner  by  his  companion,  and  the  sport 
is  thus  kept  on,  each  rising  and  sinking  alternately,  some- 
what after  the  fashion  of  see-saw. 

SLIDING. 

Sliding  on  the  ice  appears  to  have  always  been  a  favourite 
pastime  among  young  persons  in  cold  climates.  It  would 
be  useless  to  insert  any  instructions  for  its  practice; 
for  a  few  falls  on  the  ice  will  be  far  more  impressive 
than  all  the  lectures  contained  in  the  pages  of  drowsy 
instruction. 

A  kind  of  sledge,  consisting  of  a  circular  seat,  with  a 
strong  rope  affixed  to  it,  may  be  sometimes  seen  upon  the 
ice ;  and  the  rider  having  seated  himself,  is  drawn  about  by 
his  companions,  or  whirled  round  with  gret^t  velocity  until 
he  is  unseated. 


64  MINOE    SPORTS. 

"JACK!  JACK!  SHOW  A  LIGHT!" 

This  game  can  only  be  played  in  the  dusk  of  evening, 
when  all  the  surrounding  objects  are  nearly  lost  in  the  deep- 
ening gloom.  The  players  divide  into  two  parties,  and 
toss  up  for  innings,  which  being  gained,  the  winners  start 
oflP  to  hide  themselves,  or  get  so  far  away  that  the  others 
cannot  see  them — the  losers  remaining  at  the  "home." 
One  of  the  hiding  party  is  provided  with  a  flint  and  steel, 
which,  as  soon  as  they  are  all  ready,  he  strikes,  and  the 
sparks  guide  the  seekers  in  the  direction  they  must  take  to 
capture  the  others  ere  they  reach  "  home ;"  if  they  cannot 
touch  'more  than  two  of  the  boys,  the  hiders  resume  their 
innings,  and  the  game  continues  as  before.  It  is  usual, 
however,  for  the  boys  at  the  "  home"  to  call  out  "  Jack, 
Jack !  show  a  light !"  before  the  possessor  of  the  flint  and 
steel  does  so.  When  one  party  is  captured,  the  flint  and 
steel  must  be  given  up  to  the  captors,  that  they  may  carry 
on  the  game. 


;  'i- 


GYMKASTIC  EXERCISES. 


TRAINING. 
Prior  to  commencing  a  course  of  Gymnastics,  the  body 
B'lould  be  in  good  health,  and  partially  trained  by  exercises 
in  walking,  running,  and  jumping. 

IN  WALKING 

The  head  should  be  kept  up,  the  body  erect,  but  not  stiff, 
resting  upon  the  ball  of  the  foot,  not  on  the  toe  or  heel, 
the  shoulders  thrown  back,  and  the  arms  allowed  to  move 
freely  by  the  side. 

IN  RUNNING 
The  arms  should  be  kept  nearly  still,  the  elbows  to  the  sides 
of  the  body,  bringing  the  closed  hands  in  front  on  the  chest, 
and  the  legs  must  not  be  raised  too  high. 

IN  JUMPING 

The  knees  should  be  bent  so  that  "the  calves  of  the  leg  may 
touch  the  thigh.  The  fall  should  be  on  the  toes,  and  never 
on  the  heels.  The  arms  should  swing  forward  when  taking 
ft  spring,  the  body  kept  forward,  the  breath  held,  and  in 
5  .      (65) 


66  GYMNASTIC    EXERCISES. 

taking  the  run  let  your  steps  be  short,  and  increase  in 
quickness  as  you  approach  the  leap,  coming  to  the  ground 
with  both  feet  together. 

THE  HIGH  LEAP 

May  be  taken  either  standing,  or  with  a  run.  For  the  for- 
mer keep  the  legs  together,  raising  the  feet  and  knees  in  a 
straight  direction.  For  the  latter  a  light  step  with  a  short 
run  quickening  gradually  as  you  approach  thetobject  you 
wish  to  leap  over. 

THE  LONG  LEAP 

Requires  the  spring  to  be  made  from  the  toes  of  one  foot, 
and  the  arms  and  body  to  be  kept  forward 

THE  HIGH  LEAP  WITH  THE  POLE. 
The  pole  should  be  taken  with  the  right  hand  level  with 
the  head.     Spring  with  the  right  foot  over  what  you  wish 
to  clear ;  and  as  you  alight,  turn  round,  bringing  your  front 
towards  the  place  you  leap  from. 

THE  LONG  LEAP  WITH  THE  POLE. 
The  pole  must  be  firmly  placed,  and  the  body  thrown 
forward,  turning  round  as  you  cross  the  place  you  have  to 
leap  over. 


THE  JAVELIN,    *^y^  67 

THE  DEEP  LEAP  WITH  THE  POLE. 

The  same  rules  as  for  the  last.  Throw  the  body  forward 
and  lower  the  pole  to  the  depth  you  have  to  leap,  coming 
to  the  ground  upon  the  balls  of  the  feet. 

.1 
LIFTING  AT  ARM'S  LENGTH. 

The  pole  is  taken  in  the  hand,  and  elevated  in  a  right 
line  with  the  arm,  which  must  be  stretched  out  at  full 
length. 

THE  ROPE. 

In  climbing  the  rope,  the  hands  must  be  moved  one 
above  the  other,  the  feet  to  be  drawn  up  alternately  with 
the  hands,  and  the  rope  grasped  firmly  between  them.  To 
avoid  blistering  the  hands  in  descending,  they  must  be 
lowered  one  after  the  other. 

THE  JAVELIN. 

This  is  an  excellent  gymnastic  recreation.  Tou  must 
have  a  pole  shod  at  one  hand  with  iron.  It  should  be 
grasped  with  the  whole  end,  the  butt  coming  between  the 
first  finger  and  thumb.  The  aim  must  be  taken  deliberately, 
and  the  javelin  properly  poised  before  it  is  cast.  The  arm 
in  doing  so  to  be  thrown  as  far  back  as  possible,  to  delivet 
ihe  javelin  with  greater  force. 


68  '        GYMNASTIC    EXEECISES. 

THE  LONG  CHALK. 
Mark  a  line  upon  the  ground,  to  which  the  toes  of  both 
feet  must  be  placed,  neither  of  which  must  move  beyond 
it.  Either  hand  is  then  thrown  forward  on  the  floor,  as 
far,  and  no  farther,  as  will  enable  you  with  a  spring  to 
regain  your  former  upright  position,  not  scraping  the  floor 
with  the  hand,  nor  disturbing  the  position  of  your  feet. 
After  you  have  ascertained  by  practice  the  distance  you  can 
fall  and  regain  your  original  position,  take  a  piece  of  chalk, 
and  make  a  mark  as  far  in  front  of  you  as  you  can  with 
your  disengaged  hand,  without  altering  the  position  of  the 
feet,  or  using  both  hands  in  rising. 

THE  HAND  SPRING. 
This  feat  is  performed  by  throwing  yourself  forward 
against  a  wall,  resting  upon  the  palm  of  the  hand  with  the 
fingers  upward,  the  feet  being  placed  ai  a  distance  from  the 
wall,  which  will  enable  you  to  recover  an  upright  position  j 
for  according  to  the  distance  you  stand  from  the  wall,  the 
more  or  less  difficult  will  the  feat  be  found.  This  feat 
should  be  well  practised  before  commencing  the 

SPRING  FROM  THE  THUMB, 

Which  is  performed  by  resting  the  boily  upon  the  thumb, 
the  inside  of  which  is  placed  against  the  edge  of  a  table, 
taking  care  that  it  rests  against  something,  or  else  you  may 


THE    TRIUMPH.  »  69 

get  a  fall  by  driving  the  table  before  you.  By  continual 
practice  you  may  extend  the  distance  you  stand  from  the 
table. 

THE  STOOPING  REACH. 

By  practising  this  feat  considerable  agility  may  bo 
acquired.  A  line  should  be  drawn  upon  the  floor  againsjt 
which  the  other  side  of  the  right  foot  must  be  placed,  and 
the  heel  of  the  left  foot  placed  at  a  short  distance  behind 
the  right  foot  touching  the  line.  The  right  hand  must  be 
passed  under  the  knee  of  the  right  leg,  and  with  a  piece  of 
chalk  mark  a  line  as  far  in  advance  of  the  other  line  as  you 
can,  and  then  immediately  recover  your  position  without 
moving  your  feet  or  touching  the  ground  with  your  hands. 
The  knee  and  body  may  project  over  the  line  chalked,  but 
the  feet  must  be  kept  in  their  original  position.  In  this 
feat  there  is  no  spring  to  assist  you  in  rising,  as  the  chalk 
ia  held  between  the  fore-finger  and  thumb. 

THE  TRIUMPH, 
So  called  from  the  difficulty  of  accomplishing  this  feat  with- 
out a  great  deal  of  practice.  The  palms  of  the  hands  musl 
be  placed  together  behind  you,  with  the  thumbs  nearest  the 
back,  and  the  fingers  downwards;  and  then  keeping  the 
palms  as  much  as  possible  together,  turn  the  hands,  keeping 
the  tops  of  the  fingers  close  to  the  back,  until  they  are 


70  •         GYMNASTIC    EXERCISES. 

placed  between  the  shoulders,  with  the  thumbs  outward, 
the  tops  of  the  fingers  towards  the  head,  and  the  palms 
touching  one  another. 

THE  FEAT  WITH  THE  FINGERS 
Is  done  by  placing  your  arms  horizontally  close  to  and 
across  your  chest ;  the  fore-fingers  of  each  hand  pressing 
one  against  the  other.  When  in  this  position,  another  per- 
son may  endeavour  to  separate  them,  which  he  will  fail  to 
do  if  they  are  held  properly,  as  he  must  use  only  regular 
force,  and  not  jerk  them  suddenly. 

THE  FEAT  WITH  THE  POKER. 
A  common  fire  poker  must  be  held  between  the  fingers 
and  thumb,  which  by  the  motion  of  the  fingers  and  thumb 
you  must  endeavour  to  work  upwards,  the  poker  remaining 
perpendicular  the  whole  time.  This  is  a  much  more  difli- 
cult  feat  than  it  would  appear  at  first,  as  it  requires  not  only 
considerable  strength  of  finger,  but  also  knack,  which  can- 
not be  acquired  without  practice,  and  when  first  attempted, 
will  be  found  very  difficult. 

KNEELING  DOWN 
Is  an  exercise  of  some  difficulty,  and  is  done  by  placing  the 
toes  against  a  line  chalked  on  the  floor,  and  kneeling  down 
and  springing  up  again  without  making  use  of  the  hands, 
or  moving  the  toes  from  the  chalk  line. 


BBEABT    TO    MOUTH.  71 

TO  REMOVE  A  CHAIR  FROM  UNDER  YOU  WITHOUT 
FALLING. 

The  body  is  placed  upon  three  chairs,  the  centre  one  of 
which  should  be  lighter  than  the  others,  the  head  resting 
upon  one,  and  the  heels  upon  the  other.  The  body  must 
be  stiffened,  and  the  chest  thrown  up,  keeping  the  shoulders 
down.  You  then  disengage  the  middle  chair,  and  move  it 
over  your  body  until  you  deposit  it  on  the  opposite  side. 
This  is  one  of  the  feats  which  at  first  is  found  very  difficult, 
but  which  by  practice  may  be  overcome,  provided  the  chair 
you  have  to  lift  is  not  too  heavy  for  your  strength. 

BREAST  TO  MOUTH. 

The  distance  from  the  outside  of  the  elbow  to  the  tip  of 
the  second  finger,  is  measured  on  a  cane  or  stick.  You 
must  then  grasp  the  stick  with  the  right  hand,  the  middle 
finger  being  placed  over  the  mark.  The  stick  must  be  held 
horizontally  before  you,  with  the  elbow  close  to  the  side, 
and  you  must  then  endeavour  to  raise  the  left  end  of  the  stick 
to  your  mouth,  without  changing  your  position  or  moving 
your  head. 

WALKING  ON  STILTS 

Is  a  habit  acquired  in  early  life  by  the  shepherds  of  t  e 
south  of  France ;  for  by  these  additional  legs  the  feet  are 
V^pt  from  the  burning  sand  in  summer,  and  from  the  water 


72  GYMNASTIC    EXERCISES. 

which  covers  the  sandy  plains  in  winter ;  and  by  gaining 
this  elevation,  they  acquire  such  an  increased  sphere  of 
vision  over  the  sandy  plains,  as  enables  them  to  see  their 
sheep  at  a  greater  distance  than  they  could  from  the  ground. 
Stilts  are  made  with  two  poles,  and  at  any  distance  from 
their  ends,  a  piece  of  wood,  flat  on  the  upper  surface  for  the 
foot  to  rest  on,  and  is  fastened  by  a  strap  attached  to  it,  and 
another  a  little  above  the  knee.  Stilts  made  high  enough 
to  be  used  as  supports  for  the  hands  are  better  thao  those 
eut  off  just  above  the  knee  joint. 


CRICKET. 


Thi.  la-tra  of  Cricket,  as  played  by  men  in  England  and 
ihe  United  States,  appear  to  us  too  complicated  for  little 
boys.  That  kind  of  cricket  which  is  actually  played  in  this 
country  is  a  very  simple  game,  and  sufficiently  amusing 
without  complicated  regulations. 

The  Wicket  is  a  long  rod  placed  on  low  supports.  Two 
♦irickets  are  placed  at  a  distance  proportioned  to  the  strength 
of  the  juvenile  arms  and  hands  that  are  destined  to  roll  the 
ball.  Sides  are  chosen,  and  a  toss-up  for  the  first  in.  The 
side  that  is  in  places  two  of  its  number  to  guard  the  wickets 
with  their  bats,  who  change  positions  at  each  hit,  the  rest 
waiting  for  their  turn.  When  a  wicket  is  knocked  down, 
the  player  who  guarded  is  out,  or  if  his  ball  is  caught  by 
one  of  the  opposite  side  before  touching  the  ground,  he  is 
out,  and  another  of  his  side  takes  his  place,  till  all  but  one 
are  out,  in  this  manner.  Then  the  opposite  side  is  in ;  and 
the  side  that  is  out  takes  its  turn,  two  rolling,  and  the  rest 
at  various  posts  waiting  to  catch  the  ball  or  go  after  it  when 
struck,  and  return  it  to  one  of  the  two  rollers. 

This  is  the  simple  Cricket  of  the  country  boys,  and  a 
most  delightful  exercise  it  affords. 

(73) 


ARCHEKY. 


Although  no  longer  useful  as  a  military  exercise,  Archery 
IS  still  much  in  vogue,  keeping  up  the  associations  of  a 
brilliant  antiquity.  So  lately  as  the  year  1753,  targets 
were  erected  during  the  Easter  and  Whitsuntide  holidays 
in  Finsbury  Fields,  when  the  best  shooter  was  styled  *'  Cap- 
tain," for  the  ensuing  year,  and  the  second,  *'  Lieutenant." 
For  the  purposes  of  war,  the  bow  has  been  superseded  by 
fire-arms,  as  it  is  by  no  means  so  certain  of  aim,  for  moisture 
and  the  prevalence  of  wind  are  almost  fatal  to  the  use  of 
this  instrument,  besides  that  its  range  is  comparatively  limit- 
ed. In  many  parts  of  South  America  the  bow  is  still 
used,  and  is  eight  feet  and  a  half  in  length,  the  arrows  be- 
ing about  six  feet  and  a  quarter  in  length.  The  natives  use 
this  apparently  unwieldy  instrument  with  great  skill. 

THE  BOW. 
The  archer  must  choose  a  bow  adapted  to  bis  height  and 
itrength,  as  by  selecting  one  suited  to  a  stronger  person,  he 
will  find  this  delightful  exercise  become  a  toil,  and  he  will 

(74) 


THE   STRING.  75 

be  prevented  hitting  the  mark.  The  bow  is  flat  outside, 
called  the  back,  and  the  inside  part,  called  the  belly,  is 
round.  This  part  is  bent  inward.  If  the  bow  be  pulled 
the  reverse  way  it  will  break.  It  is  always  to  be  strung 
with  the  round  part  inward,  however  it  may  be  bent  when 
Unstrung. 

ARROWS.' 
Arrows  must  always  be  in  length  and  height  propor- 
tioned to  the  bow  with  which  they  are  intended  to  be  used. 
They  vary  according  to  the  fancy  of  the  archer,  and  are 
used  either  blunt  or  sharp ;  some  are  made  to  taper  from 
the  pile  to  the  feathers,  and  some  vice  versa;  and  some  are 
made  thickest  in  the  centre ;  but  those  first  mentioned  are 
the  most  to  be  preferred.  The  notches  that  fit  to  the  string 
of  the  bow  should  be  cased  with  horn,  and  they  must  fit 
with  great  exactness,  not  being  too  tight  nor  too  loose. 
Three  turkey  or  gray  goose  feathers  are  affixed  to  arrows ; 
one  of  these,  generally  of  a  difierent  colour  from  the  other 
two,  and  called  the  cock  feather,  must  be  placed  uppermost 
on  the  string. 

THE  STRING. 

To  prevent  the  string  from  being  weakened  by  friction, 
that  part  ef  it  which  receives  the  notch  of  the  arrow  is 
shipped  with  silk ;  if  this  should  come  off,  it  must  be  re* 


76  ARCHERT. 

whipped  at  once,  or  the  string  in  all  probability  will  break, 
and  frequently  the  bow  at  the  same  time.  A  string  should 
never  be  permitted  to  remain  twisted  or  ravelled ;  it  must 
be  thrown  on  one  side  and  re-twisted  and  waxed,  before  it 
is  used  again.  In  stringing  the  bow,  the  string  must 
always  be  from  the  centre  of  the  bow  proportionate  to  its 
;ength;  for  instance,  a  bow  five  feet  long  should  have  the 
string  about  five  inches  from  the  centre. 

THE  QUIVER. 
The  quiver  is  usually  made  of  wood  or  leather,  sometimes 
tin,  and  is  seldom  worn  except  in  roving. 

THE  TASSEL. 
The  tassel  is  used  for  cleaning  the  arrow  from  dirt,  which 
when  it  enters  the  ground  may  adhere  to  it;  for  if  it  were 
allowed  to  remain,  it  would  render  the  course  of  the  arrow 
untrue,  and  also  impede  its  flight.  So  that  it  may  be  always 
at  hand,  it  is  suspended  on  the  left  side  of  the  archer. 

THE  GLOVE. 

The  glove  has  three  finger  stalls,  which  should  not  pro- 
ject over  the  tops,  nor  cover  the  first  joint.  It  has  also  a 
back  thong,  and  a  wrist-strap  to  fasten  it,  and  is  worn  on 
the  right  hand,  and  its  purpose  is  to  prevent  the  fingers 
from  being  hurt  by  the  string. 


BUTTS.  77 

THE  BRACE. 
The  brace  is  to  aflFord  protection  to  the  left  arm  from 
being  injured  by  the  string,  for  without  this,  in  all  proba- 
bility the  archer  would  be  prevented  shooting  for  any  length 
of  time.  It  is  made  of  stout  leather,  having  a  very  smooth 
surface,  which  should  be  kept  continually  greased,  that  the 
string  may  meet  with  no  impediment  in  gliding  over  it. 
It  frequently  happens  that  the  archer's  arm  is  considerably 
and  dangerously  bruised  by  the  bow  string,  by  not  paying 
proper  and  careful  attention  to  the  above  rule. 

THE  BELT,  POUCH,  AND  GREASE-BOX. 
The  belt  buckles  round  the  waist,  the  pouch  being  sus. 
pended  on  the  right  side,  and  the  grease-box  from  the 
middle.  The  grease-box  contains  a  composition  for  greasing 
the  finger  of  the  shooting  gloves,  and  the  brace  when  occa- 
sion may  require  it.  The  pouch  is  intended  to  hold  the 
arrows  required  for  immediate  use  in  target  shooting. 

THE  ASCHAM. 
The  Ascham  is   a  case,  containing  compartments  and 
drawers  for  the  reception  of  all  the  necessary  accoutrements 
of  the  archer.  ^ 

BUTTS. 
Butts  are  artificial  mounds  of  turf,  built  according  to  the 
faucy  of  the  archer.     They  are  generally  made  about  seven 


78  ARCHERY. 

feet  high,  eight  feet  wide,  and  three  feet  thick.  In  the 
centre  of  the  butt  a  circular  piece  of  card-board  is  placed 
for  a  mark,  varying  in  diameter  according  to  the  distance 
the  archer  shoots ;  for  sixty  yards,  it  should  be  six  inches 
in  diameter,  and  for  eighty  yards,  eight  inches;  and  so  on 
in  proportion.  He  who  places  the  most  arrows  in  the  card- 
board is  the  winner ;  and  those  shot  outside  the  mark  are 
not  counted. 

TARGETS. 

Two  targets  are  invariably  placed  opposite  each  other,  m 
order  to  avoid  a  waste  of  time  in  going  to  fetch  the  arrows, 
and  returning  to  a  particular  spot  to  shoot  from.  Targets 
are  made  of  various  dimensions,  depending  upon  distance. 
They  are  usually  four  feet  and  a  half  in  diameter  for  100 
yards,  and  so  on  in  proportion  to  a  less  distance.  The  shot 
in  the  gold  or  centre  wins.  Each  circle  (gold,  red  inner, 
white  and  black)  has  a  proportionate  value,  viz.,  10,  8,  6, 
4,  and  the  outer  white,  1.  Some  targets  are  made  with  a 
facing  of  canvas  sewn  on  straw  used  for  the  purpose ;  but 
they  are  generally  fixed,  being  too  heavy  for  the  archer  to 
carry  about :  others  are  made  of  mill-board  for  roving,  being 
portable  but  not  so  durable.  Tft  arrow  must  be  extracted 
from  the  ground  in  the  same  direction  as  it  entered,  and  held 
AS  near  the  pile  as  possible,  for  by  not  properly  attending 


BOVINQ.  79 

to  these  instructions  you  will  probably  break  a  great  many 
arrows. 

POSITION. 

The  position  should  be  erect,  firm,  and  partly  side-ways, 
the  face  turned  towards  the  mark,  but  no  part  of  the  front 
of  the  body ;  the  heels  must  be  a  few  inches  apart,  and  the 
head  bent  forward.  The  bow  is  held  in  the  left  hand,  in  a 
perpendicular  position,  with  the  wrist  bent  inwards,  the 
arrow  to  be  brought  towards  the  right  ear,  not  towards  the 
eye.  The  arrow  must  be  drawn  from  the  pouch  by  the 
middle,  and  carried  over  the  left  side  of  the  bow,  under  the 
string,  and  the  notch  placed  in  the  string  with  the  dark 
feather  uppermost.  While  lifting  the  bow  with  the  left 
hand,  the  right  should  be  engaged  in  drawing  the  string, 
using  the  first  two  fingers  only,  and  not  the  thumb.  Take 
the  aim  when  the  arrow  is  three  parts  drawn ;  and  when  it 
reaches  the  head,  it  should  be  let  fly,  or  else  the  bow  may 
snap.  Bad  attitudes  in  archery  are  extremely  inelegant, 
and  even  ridiculous,  and  also  will  be  found  to  impede  the 
archer's  success;  therefore,  your  first  study  must  be  to 
acquire  an  easy  and  proper  position. 

ROVING. 
Roving  will  be  found  a  very  pleasant  exeivise,  and  by 


80  AKCHERT. 

some  is  preferred  to  target-shooting.  The  mark  should  bo 
some  conspicuous  object,  such  as  a  bush  or  tree.  If  an  arrow 
is  within  two  bows'  length  of  the  mark,  whatever  it  may 
be,  then  it  counts  one,  seven  or  ten  being  the  game.  The 
one  shooting  nearest,  has  the  prinlege  of  fixing  the  next 
mark.  Blunt-headed  arrows  are  the  best  for  this  style  of 
shooting,  as  it  will  be  found  difficult  to  extract  the  sharp- 
headed  ones,  if  firmly  driven  into  a  tree,  without  breaking 
them  or  cutting  the  wood  away  around  the  arrows.  They 
are  not  restricted  to  space,  but  may  rove  from  field  to  field, 
taking  care  to  see  that  there  is  no  one  near  the  mark  they 
shoot  at,  for  fear  of  some  accident,  particularly  when  using 
sharp-headed  arrows. 

DISTANCiE,  OR  FLIGHT  SHOOTING. 
Flight  shooting  does  not  require  any  particular  aim,  and 
therefore  does  not  improve  a  young  archer  wishing  to  excel 
as  a  marksman.  It  consists  merely  in  shooting  to  as  great 
»  distance  as  possible,  and  of  course  the  one  shooting  farthest 
jHSores  one,  seven  or  ten  being  the  game,  as  agreed  upon. 
This  kind  of  shooting  has  a  very  injurious  efi'ect  upon  the 
bow,  rendering  it  more  liable  to  be  broken  than  at  any  other 
kind  of  shooting  with  the  long  bow. 

CLOUT  SHOOTING. 
Wlien  butts  or  targets  cannot  be  set  up  near  home,  clout 
Bhooting  may  be  practised.     The  clout  is  sometimes  made 


STEINaiNG    THE    BOW.  81 

of  paste-board,  and  sometimes  of  white  cloth  fastened  upon 
a  stick.  All  arrows  that  fall  within  two  bows*  length  of  the 
mark,  score  one,  and  seven  or  ten  is  the  game. 

STRINGING  THE  BOW. 

This  is  a  very  difficult  operation,  and  requires  a  good 
Jeal  of  practice  to  perform  it  well.  In  order  to  make  the 
following  directions  more  simple,  it  may  be  well  to  state, 
that  the  upper  end  of  the  bow  is  the  one  which  has  the 
long  bone,  and  the  other  with  the  short  bone  is  called  the 
lower  end,  and  the  middle  of  the  bow  is  generally  called  the 
handle. 

Turn  the  flat  side  of  the  bow  towards  your  body,  and 
take  the  upper  end  of  it  in  your  left  hand,  placing  the  other 
end  on  the  ground,  against  the  inside  of  the  right  foot. 
Having  put  the  eye  of  the  bowstring  above  your  left  hand, 
catch  the  bow  by  the  handle  and  pull  it  up  with  consider- 
able force,  at  the  same  time  move  the  left  hand  upwards, 
till  the  eye  of  the  string  is  placed  completely  into  the  nock. 
For  the  sake  of  enabling  you  with  greater  ease  to  move  up 
the  eye  of  the  bowstring,  you  should  press  the  wrist  of  the 
left  hand  firmly  against  the  bow,  as  that  will  allow  you  to 
work  the  fingers  gradually  upwards.  You  will  easily  observe 
the  advantages  of  this ;  for,  when  the  string  tightens,  as 
the  eye  approaches  the  nock,  you  will  find  it  necessary  to 
use  every  stratagem  in  addition  to  your  whole  strength. 
6 


82  ARCHERT. 

In  unstringing  the  bow,  you  place  the  same  end  on  the 
ground  as  you  did  when  stringing  it :  but  as  you  now  want 
to  undo  what  you  did  before,  you  must  reverse  the  position 
of  the  bow  by  turning  the  string  upwards  :  you  then  slacken 
the  string,  by  pressing  the  hand  against  the  bow  till  you 
are  enabled  to  lift  the  eye  out  of  the  nock,  which  you  can 
easily  accomplish  with  the  thumb. 


ANGLING. 


Theue  appears  to  be  some  enduring  charm  connected 
with  this  delightful  summer  sport,  for  we  find,  that  many 
pursue  it  with  as  much  enthusiasm  in  a  "  good  old  age,"  as 
ever  they  did  in  their  "  boyish  days."  This  amusement  is 
in  fact  such  a  universal  favourite,  that  there  is  no  particular 
age  or  class  that  can  be  said  to  follow  it,  as  is  the  case  with 
many  other  sports;  for  it  is  enjoyed  equally  by  the  old  and 
the  young,  by  the  professional  man  and  the  man  of  business ; 
by  the  military  man  and  by  the  statesman  j  and  each,  as  he 
has  the  time  and  opportunity,  studies  it  with  more  careful 
attention.  And  yet  we  cannot  help  wondering  why  angling 
should  be  so  eagerly  pursued  by  those  of  all  ages  and  profes- 
sions, when  we  remember  that  it  demands  a  greater  amount  of 
patience  and  perseverance  than  is  required  in  the  pursuit  of 
any  other  sport.  We  have  heard  many  reasons  given  for  this  ; 
but  as  it  would  occupy  too  much  space  to  enumerate  them 
all  here,  we  shall  give  only  the  general  conclusion  at  which 
we  ourselves  have  arrived,  viz.,  there  is  so  much  variety 
connected  with  it,  from  first  to  last,  that  many  different  dis- 
positions fii'.d  something  in  it  to  attract  them.     Some  will ' 

(83) 


84  ANQLING. 

take  as  much  delight  in  arranging  the  flies  in  their  pocket- 
book,  as  others  do  when  enjoying  the  sport  on  the  banks 
of  a  river;  while  others  find  their  pleasure  in  adjusting  the 
hooks  on  the  line,  and  otherwise  preparing  the  rod.  Our 
young  friends  will  find  full  directions  given  in  the  following 
pages : — 

RODS. 
,,  Your  first  care  will  be  to  provide  yourself  with  good 
rods,  lines,  floats,  and  hooks,  as  almost  every  fishing  station 
requires  something  different.  A  rod  of  bamboo  (with  three 
or  four  tops  of  difi"erent  lengths)  about  eight  or  ten  feet  in 
length  will  be  found  the  most  serviceable,  and  it  is  neces- 
sary that  it  should  be  fine  and  taper,  with  rings  for  a  run- 
ning line.  This  description  of  rod  is  the  best  you  can  get 
for  punt-fishing,  care  being  taken  to  choose  it  light  and 
elastic.  Hickory  rods  may  be  procured  very  cheap,  and 
are  quite  good  enough  for  "  little  boys."  Fly  rods  are  much 
lighter  and  more  elastic,  and  should  spring  well  from  the 
butt-end  to  the  top. 

The  rod  must  be  kept  where  it  will  not  get  damp,  as  that 
will  rot  it;  nor  must  it  be  kept  in  too  dry  a  place,  for  that 
will  crack  it.  In  putting  your  rod  together  in  warm  weat  her, 
do  not  wet  the  joints  too  much,  or  else  you  will  find  it 
diflacult  to  separate  them,  as  they  will  stick  if  you  wait  till 
they  dry;  and  in  using  force  to  get  them  asunder  jou  may 
itrain  your  rod 


BAITS.  95 

..-„-'  LINES. 

The  best  lines  are  those  commonly  called  "gut"  and 
"  hair ;"  the  latter  for  fine  clear  water :  they  should  be 
chosen  round  and  even :  other  lines  are  made  of  plaited 
Bilk.  Always  purchase  them  at  a  shop,  until  you  have 
gained  sufficient  experience  to  make  them  yourself.  This 
will  also  apply  to 

HOOKS. 
In  choosing  them,  see  that  the  barb  is  of  a  good  length, 
the  points  sharp,  and  that  the  gut  or  hair  is  round  and  even. 
They  are  numbered  for  convenience,  to  distinguish  them 
or  the  fish  they  are  intended  to  take. 

FLOATS. 
Cork  or  reed  are  the  best  for  a  running  stream,  duck 
quills,  or  porcupine,  for  pond  fishing.     Small  shot  are  the 
best  to  poise  the  float,  as  it  is  better  to  have  a  greater  num- 
ber of  shot  in  preference  to  a  few  large  ones. 

BAITS. 
The  lob-worm  is  a  good  bait  for  salmon,  trout,  perch/ 
chub,  and  eels ;  and  is  to  be  found  with  the  dew-worm  in 
loamy  soils,  or  fallow  fields  newly  ploughed.  Gilt  tails,  or 
brandlings,  and  red  worms  are  to  be  found  in  old  dung-hills, 
hot-beds,  &c.,  and  are  good  bait  for  tench,  perch,  bream, 
and  gudgeon,  when  well  scoured,  which  is  done  by  placing 


86  ANGLING. 

them  in  moss  for  a  few  hours.  The  oak-worm,  cabbage- 
worm,  canker-worm,  and  colewort-worm  are  to  be  found  on 
the  leaves  of  trees,  plants,  &c-,  and  are  good  bait  for  chub, 
trout,  roach,  dace,  or  tench.  Maggots  or  gentles  are  readily 
taken  by  all  kinds  of  fish  j  they  must  be  kept  in  wheat  bran 
to  scour  them.  Minnows,  dace,  bleak,  perch,  &c.,  are  good 
bait  for  pike.  Greaves  are  a  good  bait  for  barbel,  roach, 
chub,  and  dace.  The  wasp  grub,  and  the  grasshopper,  are 
eagerly  taken  by  almost  any  fish  in  clear  streams  about 
mid-water. 

ARTICLES  REQUISITE  FOR  ANGLERS. 

Hooks  of  various  sizes ;  floats ;  lines ;  caps,  for  floats  j 
split  shot;  gentle  box;  worm  bags;  a  plummet,  for  taking 
the  depth ;  landing  net;  clearing  ring;  disgorger;  winches 
for  running  line ;  pan,  for  live  bait,  &c.  The  lines  should 
be  four  yards  long. 

SALT  WATER  ANGLING. 

At  the  mouths  of  rivers  flowing  up  from  the  sea,  piers, 
He,  wniting,  plaice,  turbot,  &c.,  may  be  taken.  Bait  with 
shrimps,  gentles,  or  red  worms  at  the  mouth  of  rivers;  and 
when  angling  from  a  boat  or  pier,  &c.,  a  raw  crab,  a  piece 
of  whiting,  or  two  or  three  red  worms.  The  tackle  neces- 
sary will  be  a  strong  rod,  good  line  leaded,  large  hook,  and 
iork  float. 


OBSERVATIONS.  87 

OBSERVATIONS. 

For  bottom  fishing  care  should  be  taken  properly  to 
plumb  the  depth  without  disturbing  the  water.  When  the 
water  is  not  deep,  keep  as  far  from  it  as  you  can.  The  use 
of  fine  tackle  will  enable  you  the  sooner  to  become  proficient. 
Do  not  lose  your  patience  if  you  do  not  at  once  meet  with 
the  success  you  anticipated,  or  if  your  tackle  breaks,  but 
endeavour  to  repair  it.  In  close  weather,  or  with  a  gentle 
rain,  fish  will  bite  best;  also  with  a  gentle  wind  from  the 
south-west.  Fish  will  seldom  bite  with  a  north  wind, 
except  in  sheltered  places.  Keep  the  sun  in  your  face,  if 
possible,  as  your  shadow  will  frighten  the  fish.  If  you 
should  hook  a  good  fish,  keep  your  rod  bent,  or  he  will 
break  your  line,  or  his  hold.  Never  attempt  to  land  a 
large  fish  by  laying  hold  of  the  line,  but  always  have  a  land- 
ing net  prepared.  In  the  morning  early,  or  after  five  iu 
the  evening,  are  the  best  parts  of  the  day  for  angling.  Al- 
ways keep  your  tackle  neat  and  clean,  and  they  will  be 
ready  when  required.  Take  care  to  be  well  clad,  and  wear 
thick- soled  shoes,  or  you  may  take  cold.  If  you  should  fish 
in  company  with  any  one,  let  there  be  a  distance  of  forty 
yards  between  you.  Fish  as  close  to  the  bank  as  you  can. 
Patience  in  this,  as  in  every  pursuit  of  life,  is  particularly 
essential,  for  with  perseverance,  success  must  eventually 
attend  you. 


SWIMMING. 


The  many  advantages  of  swimming  are  too  generally 
appreciated,  to  require  that  we  should  enter  here  into  any 
lengthened  recommendation  of  the  art.  It  may  be  8ufl5cient 
to  draw  attention  to  the  fact,  that  those  who  cannot  swim, 
invariably  express  great  regret  for  not  having  learned : 
while  those  who  can,  always  speak  of  it  with  evident  feelings 
of  pleasure  and  satisfaction.  These  facts  are  sufficient 
proof  of  the  high  and  universal  estimation  in  which  it  is 
held,  and  we  would  earnestly  advise  our  young  friends,  not 
to  lose  any  opportunity  of  acquiring  an  art,  the  practice  of 
which  is  so  conducive  to  the  health  and  vigour  of  the  body, 
and  is  frequently  the  means  of  saving  not  only  our  own  lives, 
but  the  lives  of  others. 

TO  BEGIN  TO  LEARN  TO  SWIM. 

To  put  yourself  in  a  right  posture  for  swimming,  lie 
Jown  gently  on  your  face,  keep  your  head  and  neck  upright, 
your  bretwt  2.dvancing  forward,  and  your  back  bending; 
withdraw  your  legs  from  the  bottom,  and  immediately  stretch 

(88) 


TO  RETURN  BACK  AGAIN  IN  SWIMMING.      89 

them  out  in  imitation  of  a  frog,  strike  out  your  arms  for- 
ward, and  spread  them  open,  then  draw  them  in  again  to- 
wards your  breast ;  strike  forward,  make  use  first  of  your 
feet,  then  of  your  hands,  as  many  strokes  as  you  can,  and 
you  will  fiud  this  way  easy  and  pleasant.  I  have  been  used 
to  persuade  those  whom  I  have  taught  to  swim,  not  at  all  to 
fear  lying  along  the  water  when  they  know  the  bottom. 
It  will  sometimes  happen  that  you  will  drink  down  some 
water,  but  that  ought  not  to  discourage  you ;  nor  need  you 
fancy  to  yourself  that  you  are  not  as  capable  of  learning  and 
swimming  as  well  as  others,  for  the  same  thing  happens 
almost  to  all  beginners;  besides,  it  is  common,  at  first 
learning,  in  lying  along  the  water  to  sink  down,  and  be 
almost  stifled  in  holding  one's  breath.  It  is  usual  at  first, 
for  these  reasons,  to  administer  sundry  helps :  as,  to  hold 
up  their  chins,  or  give  them  a  bundle  of  corks,  or  bladders, 
which  are  the  best  helps  for  young  beginners. 

Take  special  care  that  the  water  is  not  higher  than  your 
breast,  nor  shallower  than  up  to  near  your  waist. 

TO  RETURN  BACK  AGAIN  IN  SWIMMING. 

To  turn  back,  you  must  turn  the  palm  of  your  right 
hand  outward  from  you,  and  strike  out  the  arm  the  same 
way,  and  do  exactly  the  contrary  with  your  left  hand  and 
arm,  striking  that  inwards  the  contrary  way,  embracing,  as 
it  were,  the  water  on  that  side. 


^0     ■  SWIMMINO. 

TO  FLOAT  OR  SWIM  WITH  THE  FACE  TOWARD  THE 
SKY. 

When  you  are  upright  in  the  water,  lie  down  on  your 
back  very  gently,  elevate  your  breast  above  the  surface  of 
the  water,  and  in  the  mean  while  keep  your  body  always 
extended  in  the  same  right-line,  your  hands  lying  on  your 
stomach,  striking  out  and  drawing  in  your  legs  successively, 
and  govern  yourself  accordingly.  The  best  way  to  begin 
will  be  by  the  assistance  of  some  one's  hand,  or  a  bundle  of 
corks,  or  bladders ;  you  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  lie  down 
gently,  and  take  especial  care  that  you  do  not,  through  fear, 
put  down  one  of  your  legs  to  feel  for  the  bottom,  for  you 
need  not  fear  sinking,  but  such  a  motion  of  the  foot  is  the 
way  to  mjB,ke  you  do  so. 

HOW  TO  TURN  IN  THE  WATER. 

To  turn  easily  you  must  incline  your  head  and  body  to 
the  side  you  would  turn  to,  and  at  the  same  time  move  and 
turn  your  legs  after  the  same  manner,  as  you  would  do  to 
turn  the  same  way  on  land;  this  hinders  and  stops  the 
motion  of  your  body  forwards  all  at  once. 

If  you  will  turn  to  the  left,  you  must  turn  the  thumb  of 
your  right  hand  towards  the  bottom,  and  with  the  palm 
open,  but  somewhat  bent,  drive  off  the  water  forward  from 
that  side,  and  at  the  same  time,  with  the  left  hand  open, 
and  fingers  close,  drive  the  water  on  that  side  backwards. 


TTJRNINa.  91 

and  at  once  turn  your  body  and  face  to  the  left.  If  you 
would  turn  to  the  right,  you  must  do  just  the  same  thing 
contrariwise. 

THE  TURN  CALLED  RINGING  THE  BELLS. 

If  you  swim  on  your  face,  you  must  at  once  draw  in  your 
feet,  and  strike  them  forwards,  as  you  did  before  backwards, 
at  the  same  time  striking  out  your  hands  backwards,  and 
putting  yotfr  body  in  an  upright  posture. 

If  you  swim  on  your  back,  you  must  at  once  draw  in  your 
legs  towards  your  back,  and  striking  them  down  towards 
the  bottom,  cast  your  body  forward  till  you  are  turned  on 
the  face:  but  you  must  take  heed  that  you  have  water 
sufficient,  and  that  there  are  no  weeds  at  the  bottom,  which 
have  sometimes  proved  fatal  to  the'best  swimmers. 

ANOTHER  WAY  OF  TURNING. 
If  you  swim  on  your  face,  and  would  turn  to  the  left, 
you  must  extend  your  right  hand  and  arm  as  far  out  before 
you  as  you  can,  and  turn  your  foce,  breast,  and  whole  body 
to  the  left,  lifting  up  your  right  hand  towards  the  top  of  the 
water,  and  you  will  find  yourself  on  your  back ;  and  from 
your  back  you  may  turn  again  on  your  face,  and  so  on  as 
often  as  you  please.  That  these  changes  of  posture  may 
be  performed  with  speed  and  agility,  you  must  take  care  to 
keep  your  legs  close  together,  and  your  arms  stretched  out 
before  your  breast,  but  not  separated  from  one  another. 


92  SWIMMING. 

TO  SWIM  BACKWARDS.  '"  '   *' 

When  lying  on  the  back  you  push  yourself  onward  witb 
your  feet  and  legs ;  but  to  do  the  contrary,  and  aavance  for- 
ward, you  must,  lying  always  on  the  back,  keep  the  body 
extended  at  full  length  in  a  straight  line,  the  breast  inflated, 
so  that  that  part  of  the  back  which  is  between  the  shoulders 
must  be  concave  (or  hollow,)  and  sunk  down  in  the  water, 
the  hands  on  the  stomach.  Being,  I  say,  in  this  posture, 
you  must  lift  up  your  legs  one  after  another,  and  draw 
them  back  with  all  the  force  you  can  towards  your  back, 
letting  them  fall  into  the  water,  for  thus  you  will  return  to 
the  place  whence  you  came. 

TO  TURN  ONE'S  SELF  LYING  ALONG. 

It  seems  at  first  sight,  that  to  turn  one's  self,  and  turn 
one's  self  lying  along,  were  the  same  thing;  but  to  turn 
lying  along,  you  must  keep  yourself  in  a  posture  extended 
and  lying  on  the  back,  the  top  of  your  arms  close  to  your 
sides,  turning  the  lowest  joint  of  your  right  hand  outwards ; 
the  legs  at  a  distance  from  one  another,  at  least  a  foot,  or 
thereabouts.  The  soles  of  your  feet  turned  towards  the 
bottom  of  the  water.  In  this  posture  you  may  turn  as  you 
please  towards  the  right  or  left  side.  This  may  be  service- 
able in  several  circumstances ;  for  it  often  happens,  that  a 
person  swimming  on  his  back,  may  be  forced  against  a 
bankj  or  among  weeds ;  wherefore  a  ready  way  of  turning 


TO  MAKE  A  CIRCLE.  93 

fe  very  proper  to  avoid  those  sort  of  dangers.  But,  uiot- 
■withstanding  these  methods  of  escape,  it  is  not  safe  to  ven- 
ture among  dangers  of  this  kind,  especially  weeds;  for 
iome  time  or  other  one  may  be  caught.  There  is  another 
vray  of  disengaging  one's  self  from  weeds,  which  I  will  show 
ander  the  following  head. 

TO  MAKE  A  CIRCLE.  ■• 

To  perform  this,  the  body  lying  on  the  back,  if  you  would 
feegiu  to  turn  from  the  right  to  the  left,  you  must  first  sink 
jour  left  side  somewhat  more  towards  the  bottom  than  the 
other,  and  lift  out  of  the  water  your  legs  successively,  first 
the  left,  thon  the  right,  and  at  each  of  these  motions  advance 
your  legs  onwards  about  a  foot  each,  towards  the  left  side, 
your  head  remaining  still  in  the  same  place ;  the  froth  on 
the  surface  of  the  water  will  note  the  parts  of  the  circle  you 
have  described.  In  the  practice  of  it  you  must  take  care 
not  to  elevate  year  feet  too  high  in  the  air,  for  that  would 
sink  down  the  head  in  the  water;  nor  to  strike  the  water 
too  hard  with  the  feet,  as  it  causes  a  disagreeable  noise. 

TO  TURN,  BEING  IN  AN  UPRIGHT  POSTURE.  ' 

Being  in  the  water  in  an  upright  posture,  you  may  turn 
and  view  everything  successively  round  about  you.  You 
may  see  that  I  am  indeed  upright,  but  to  make  you  under- 
stand those  motions  of  mj  feet  which  you  cannot  see; — 


94  SWIMMING. 

suppose  I  wish  to  turn  to  the  right,  in  the  first  place  I 
embrace  the  water  with  the  sole  of  my  right  foot,  and  after- 
wards with  that  of  my  left ;  and  in  the  meanwhile  I  incline 
my  body  towards  the  left ;  I  also  draw,  as  much  as  I  can, 
the  water  towards  me  with  my  hands,  and  afterwards  drive 
it  off  again ;  I  draw  it  first  with  my  left  hand,  and  then 
with  my  right,  and  having  so  drawn  it  towards  me,  drive  it 
off  again. 

TO  ADVANCE,  SWIMMING  WITH  THE  HANDS  JOINED 
TOGETHER. 

This  is  one  of  the  first  and  most  simple  ways  of  swimming, 

and  is  also  very  graceful.     In  the  practice  of  it  you  hold 

your  hands  joined  together,  drawing  them  in  towards  the 

breast,  and  successively  striking  them  out  again.     The  two 

hands  remain  all  the  while  joined,  insomuch  that  the  thumbs 

and  fingers  being  turned  towards  the  surface  of  the  water, 

seem  to  be  out  of  it.     Besides  the  gracefulness  of  this  way 

of  swimming,  it  is  moreover  serviceable  for  traversing  or 

swimming  across  a  heap  of  weeds,  &c.,  for  the  hands  being 

thus  joined,  as  it  were,  in  a  point,  open  a  passage  for  you 

through  weeds  or  reeds,  if  they  chance  to  oppose  you, 

especially  if  you  take  care  not  to  strike  your  hands  out  too 

(ar. 

TO  SWIM  ON  YOUR  SIDE. 

Suppose  you  swim  on  your  back  or  face,  lower  or  sink 


TO    SWIM    LIKE    A    DOG.  95 

your  left  side,  and  at  the  same  time  elevate  your  right  one. 
In  swimming,  when  you  are  thus  laid,  move  your  left  hand 
as  often  as  you  see  convenient,  without  either  separating  it 
far  from  your  body,  or  sinking  it,  perpetually  striking  it 
out,  and  retracting  it,  as  in  a  right-line,  on  the  surface  of 
the  water. 

TO  SWIM  ON  THE  FACE,  HOLDING  BOTH  HANDS  STILL. 
This  is  easily  performed  in  the  following  manner.  You 
must  keep  your  breast  advancing  forward,  your  neck  upright 
on  the  water,  both  your  hands  fast  behind  your  head,  or  on 
your  back,  while  in  the  meantime  your  legs  and  thighs  push 
you  forward  by  the  same  motions  you  make  when  you  swim 
on  your  face. 

TO  CARRY  THE  LEFT  LEG  IN  THE  RIGHT  HAND. 

This  is  performed  when,  in  swimming  on  the  face,  you 
lift  up  your  leg,  and  moving  it  towards  the  back,  take  hold 
of  it  with  the  hand  of  the  opposite  side,  continuing  in  the 
meanwhile  to  swim  with  the  leg  and  other  hand  which  are 
at  liberty. 

TO   SWIM   LIKE   A   DOG. 

To  swim  like  a  dog,  you  must  lift  up  and  depress  one 

hand  successively  after  another,  and  do  the  same  also  with 

your  feet,  only  with  this  difference,  that  with  your  hands 

you  must  draw  the  water  towards  you,  and  with  your  feet 


f6  SWIMMINa. 

drive  it  from  you ;  you  must  begin  with  the  right  hand  and 
right  foot,  and  afterwards  with  the  left  hand  and  foot,  and 
80  successively. 

TO  BEAT  THE  WATER. 
You  strike  the  water  with  your  right  and  left  legs ;  the 
manner  of  it  is  very  pleasant ;  when  swimming  on  the 
back,  at  each  extension  of  the  legs,  lifting  them  up  out  of 
the  water  one  after  another,  you  strike  the  water  so  that  it 
rebounds  up  into  the  air.  Those  who  are  most  expert  at 
this,  bring  their  chins  towards  their  breast  at  each  exten- 
gion.  There  are  some  who,  not  satisfied  with  going  so  far 
only,  to  perform  the  business  more  gracefully,  lift  up  their 
legs  much  higher  than  others,  strike  the  water  at  each 
extension,  sometimes  with  the  right  leg,  sometimes  with  the 
left,  at  the  same  time  turn  the  whole  body.  This  will  be 
found  most  agreeable.  To  perform  this,  you  must  keep  your 
body  extended  on  your  back,  expand  or  inflate  your  breast, 
and  keep  it  almost  out  of  the.water,  the  palms  of  both  your 
hands  extended  and  turned  towards  the  bottom,  for  it  is  the 
oflice  of  the  hands  to  keep  up  the  body  while  you  strike 
and  open  your  legs;  but  if,  at  the  same  time,  you  wish  to 
beat  water,  and  turn  yourself,  in  that  case,  supposing  your 
right  leg  is  up  out  of  the  water,  you  must  strike  the  water 
with  that,  and  at  the  same  time  lift  up  the  left  leg,  and  by 
the  same  action  turn  your  whole  body. 


TO   SHOW  BOTH  FEET   OUT   OF  WATER.  97 

TO  KEEP  ONE  FOOT  AT  LIBERTY. 
These  easy  ways  of  swimming  seem  more  for  diversion 
than  advantage ;  yet,  notwithstanding,  there  is  not  one  of 
them  but  what  may  be  serviceable  in  some  of  those 
numerous  rencounters  which  happen  to  swimmers ;  as,  for 
example,  this  may  serve  to  disengage  one's  feet  from  weeds. 
He  turns  himself  sometimes  to  the  right,  sometimes  to  the 
left,  having  always  one  leg  up  out  of  the  water,  looking 
about  him,  bringing  in  his  chin  always  towards  his  breast. 
It  is  more  difficult  than  it  seems  to  be  at  first  sight ;  for  if 
the  breast  is  not  inflated,  the  palms  of  the  hands  extended, 
and  turned  downwards  towards  the  bottom,  and  if  the 
other  leg  is  not  employed  in  the  water,  your  head  immedi- 
ately sinks  down.  The  address  or  management  of  it  is 
difficult ;  but  the  recompense,  when  learned,  is  satisfaetorj 
and  very  useful. 

TO  SHOW  BOTH  FEET  OUT  OF  THE  WATER. 
One  may  swim  holding  both  feet  out  of  the  water,  and 
this  is  very  easy ;  you  may  also  not  only  remain  so  in  one 
place,  but  also  make  advances  forward.  You  must  place 
yourself  on  your  back,  and  bend  the  small  of  it  contra/ 
riwise  to  what  is  practised  in  other  ways  of  swimming; 
your  hands  must  be  on  your  stomach,  the  palms  of  them 
open,  moving  them  to  and  fro,  like  oars,  which  must  sustain 
your  body  while  jour  feet  are  down.  This  way  of  swimming 
7 


98  SWIMMING. 

will  serve  to  show  you  whether  your  feet  are  clean  or  not, 
after  having  taken  them  from  the  bottom, 

SUSPENSION  BY   THE   CHIN. 

You  cannot  easily  imagine  how  this  manner  of  ewim- 
ming  is  performed.  To  make  you  comprehend  it  you  are  to 
remember,  that  when  you  swim  on  your  back  you  lie  still, 
your  legs  being  extended ;  when  you  find  yourself  in  that 
posture,  you  must  let  your  legs  go  down  or  sink ;  and  when 
they  come  to  be  perpendicular  to  the  bottom,  you  must 
take  them  up  again,  bending  your  knees,  and  inflating 
your  breast :  and  as  to  the  arms  and  hands,  whereof  the 
back  parts  lie  flat  on  the  water  by  the  shoulders,  you  must 
sometimes  extend  them  on  one  side,  sometimes  on  the 
other,  sometimes  shut  them,  turning  the  palms  towards  the 
bottom,  the  fingers  close  to  one  another,  holding  your  chin 
as  upright  as  possible.  This  way,  which  seems  so  surpris- 
ing, is  sometimes  very  useful :  suppose,  at  any  time,  the  ice 
should  happen  to  break  under  your  feet,  this  way  will  be 
of  vast  advantage  to  secure  yourself  from  the  danger. 

TO  TREAD  WATER. 

By  this  way  you  remain  upright  in  the  water  without 

making  any  motion  with  your  hands,  only  you  move  the 

water  round  with  your  legs  from  you,  the  soles  of  your  feet 

being  perpendicular  to  the  bottom.    This  way  of  swimming 


TO    CREEP.  99 

is  very  advantageous,  for  it  gives  us  the  free  use  of  the 
hands. 

CHANGING  HAND  AND   FOOT. 

With  the  right  hand  you  hold  the  left  foot,  and  contraii- 
wise ;  but  you  must  change  these  holds  by  a  speedy  letting 
or  striking  down  of  the  foot  held  up.  This  may  be  useful 
for  taking  off  weeds  from  the  legs. 

TO  CREEP. 

The  action  of  swimming  in  man  is  very  like  the  motion 
of  creeping  in  reptiles;  as,  suppose  a  snake,  for  example, 
which,  resting  or  stopping  first,  with  his  fore  parts,  draws 
the  rest  of  the  body  forwards ;  and  it  is  a  way  very  service- 
able to  get  clear  of  weeds.  To  practise  it,  being  on  the 
face,  you  cast  your  hands  forward,  and  your  feet  softly  back- 
ward, but  close  together,  and  thus  you  advance,  extending 
your  arms  and  hands  as  far  from  your  breast  as  possible, 
your  fingers  close,  and  the  palms  of  your  hands  a  little  bent, 
turned  towards  the  bottom  3  for  being  in  this  posture,  if 
you  draw  towards  your  breast  with  your  hands  and  arms 
the  water  that  is  before  you,  by  that  you  give  time  to  the 
rest  of  your  body  to  advance  farther,  and  to  disengage  your- 
self from  the  weeds,  if  you  are  entangled  in  them,  which 
most  not  be  done  with  too  much  haste  or  force. 


100  SWIMMINO. 

TO  SIT  IN  THE  WATER.  '■ 

You  must  take  both  your  legs  in  your  hands,  draw  m 
your  breath,  and  so  keep  your  breast  inflated ;  your  head 
upright,  and  lifting  up  successively  your  arms  and  legs,  by 
that  motion  sustain  yourself. 

TO  SWIM  HOLDING  UP  YOUR  HANDS. 

While  you  swim  on  your  back,  it  is  easy  to  put  your 
hands  to  what  use  you  please ;  but  it  is  difficult  to  hold 
them  upright,  and  swim  at  the  same  time  too.  It  would 
appear  at  first  sight  as  if  this  were  the  most  easy  method 
we  have  yet  taught.  You  must  take  care  lest,  while  you 
lift  up  your  arms,  the  thorax  or  breast  be  not  contracted, 
for  if  so  you  sink.  The  whole  art  in  this  way  of.  swimming, 
consists  in  hearing  up  the  breast  as  high,  and  keeping  it 
inflated  as  much  as  possible,  while  your  arms  are  held 

THE  LEAP  OF  THE  GOAT. 

It  is  callled  so  by  reason  you  imitate  the  leaping  of  goats 
in  the  motion  of  the  feet.  To  perform  it  you  must  have 
both  courage  and  strength.  You  must  keep  your  breast 
inflated,  and  strike  with  both  your  hands  the  water  on  each 
side,  by  thick  short  strokes,  three  or  four  times,  but  mora 
forcibly  the  last  time  than  the  others  :  while  you  are  doing 
thus,  you  must  lift  your  feet  up  quite  out  of  the  water,  and 
rub  them  one  against  the  other,  as  you  see  commonly  done 


THE    PERPENDICULAR  DESCENT.  101 

in  the  cutting  of  capers.  This  is  one  of  the  most  diflScult, 
the  most  ingenious  pieces  of  art  belonging  to  swimming, 
and  when  you  have  arrived  at  it,  you  may  say  you  have 
mastered  one  of  the  most  diflB.cult  points  in  the  whole  art  j 
for  it  is  as  difficult  as  to  swim  under  water,  to  which  there 
is  required  a  great  deal  of  artificial  management;  which  now 
I  come  to  show.     The  first  step  is  to  learn  to  dive. 

TO  DIVE. 

If  men  sink  to  the  bottom  of  the  water,  it  is  their  own 
fault ;  there  is  not  only  occasion  for  force,  but  also  art  to 
do  it  safely.  The  first  way  of  doing  it  is  to  begin  with 
your  feet  touching  the  bottom  j  then  afterwards  rise  up, 
your  head  bowed  down,  so  that  your  chin  must  touch  your 
breast ;  the  crown  of  your  head  being  turned  towards  the 
bottom,  holding  the  back  of  your  hands  close  together,  right 
before  your  head,  and  sinking  or  striking  them  down  first 
with  all  the  swiftness  and  exactness  you  can :  thus  you  may 
dive  to  the  bottom. 

THE  PERPENDICULAR  DESCENT. 

This  is  for  those  who  leap  from  any  height  into  the  water, 
and  is  performed  by  taking  a  leap  a  little  forward,  and 
sometimes  upward,  that  your  head  may  be  perpendicularly 
downward.  When  you  have  very  deep  water,  it  cannot  be 
performed  after  any  more  ready  method,  because  of  the 


102  SWIMMING. 

diflSculty  of  long  holding  one's  breath.  However,  it  is 
seldom  put  in  practice  by  reason  of  the  dangers  which  at* 
tend  it. 

TO  SWIM  UNDER  WATER. 

You  first  of  all  dive  down ;  the  two  hands  must  be  turned 
back  to  back,  and  close  to  one  another ;  after  which  you 
must  extend  them  with  all  the  swiftness  you  can,  your 
thumbs  turned  upwards,  and  your  fore-fingers  towards  the 
bottom ;  you  may  have  occasion  to  swim  thus,  when  you 
are  to  seek  for  anything  at  the  bottom  of  the  water ;  also 
to  help  one  in  danger  of  being  drowned.  But  in  this  last 
case,  you  must  take  heed  not  to  come  too  near  to  any  one 
in  that  danger ;  for  if  such  a  one  takes  hold  of  you,  you 
are  certainly  lost. 

To  proceed,  in  that  case,  safely,  you  must  keep  ten  or 
twelve  feet  ofi":  your  best  way  will  be  not  to  lay  hold  of 
him  till  he  is  quite  sunk  down,  and  has  lost  the  use  of  his 
sight ;  and  if  you  have  observed  the  place  where  he  is,  you 
may  endeavour  to  take  hold  of  him  by  the  hair,  and  so 
draw  him  on  your  back,  always  taking  care  that  he  does 
not  lay  hold  of  you,  or  otherwise  hamper  you ;  you  zn&y 
thus  draw  him  to  some  snaiiow  pxace. 


TO     MAKE    A    CIRCLE    UNDER    WATER.        103 

TO  COME  TO  THE  TOP  OF  THE  WATER,  AFTKR  DIVING. 

After  you  are  at  the  bottom,  you  may  return  with  the 
same  facility;  which  is  performed  much  after  the  same  way 
as  we  have  taught  before,  to  turn  one's  self  in  the  water; 
the  person  who  swims  with  one  of  his  hands  extended 
must  push  from  him,  with  his  palm,  the  water  which  is 
before  him,  and  with  the  cavity  of  the  other  palm  drawing 
towards  him  the  water  which  is  behind  him ;  when  your 
hand  is  extended  as  far  as  it  can  be,  the  fingers  of  the  hand 
so  extended,  and  the  palm  of  that  turned  outwards,  ought 
to  shut  or  clench ;  the  perfection  of  this  way  you  will  see  as 
follows : — 

IN  SWIMMING  UNDER  WATER,  TO  MAKE  A  CIRCLE. 

When  swimmers  go  to  search  for  anything  in  the  water, 
they  swim  round  about  the  place  where  the  thing  was  cast 
in,  if  they  do  not  find  it  immediately ;  by  this  sort  of  address 
they  can  take  up  the  least  thing  that  is  at  the  bottom.  The 
maimer  of  making  this  compass  or  circle  is  thus :  if  you 
would  begin  the  circle  from  the  right  hand,  and  end  it  at 
the  left,  you  must  grasp  or  embrace  the  water  with  both 
your  hands  from  the  right  to  the  left,  and  exactly  contrary 
if  you  would  turn  the  other  way ;  but  when  you  have  dived 
perpendicularly  down,  and  cannot  see  what  you  want  to  find, 
you  will  be  obliged  to  take  such  a  compass,  but  do  not  go 
80  far  a*  to  lose  the  light ;  for  when  that  once  begins  to 


104  BWIMMlNa. 

fail  you,  it  is  a  sign  you  are  either  too  deep,  or  under 
boat,  or  shore,  or  something  else  that  intercepts  the  light 
You  must  always  take  heed  of  venturing  into  such  places, 
and  if  you  should  find  yourself  so  engaged,  call  to  mind 
whereabouts,  or  which  way  you  came  thither,  and  turn  bach 
the  same  way,  looking  upwards  for  the  light ;  for  you  maj 
gee  it  a  great  way  off;  above  all  take  heed  you  do  not  breatho 
under  the  water.  In  case  you  are  afraid  that  an  enemy 
should  lay  wait  for  you  when  you  come  up  again,  yx^u  must 
have  recourse  'o  the  agility  of  the  dolphin. 


SKATING. 


If  we  may  judge  of  the  popularity  of  the  different  sports 
and  amusements  by  the  amount  of  danger  which  we  see 
incurred  in  their  pursuit,  we  should  say  that  none'  stands  so 
high  in  public  favour  as  Skating.  Like  most  of  our  other 
amusements,  it  is  difficult  to  ascertain  much  about  its  origin, 
but  we  have  no  doubt  that  it  was  at  first  practised  more 
from  necessity  than  as  a  recreation.  Many  feats  and 
graceful  evolutions  may  be  performed  on  the  ice  by  those 
who  have  had  much  practice  in  Skating. 

Skating  is  the  art  of  balancing  the  body,  while,  by  the 
impulse  of  each  foot  alternately,  it  moves  rapidly  upon 
the  ice. 

CONSTRUCTION  OF  THE  SKATE. 

The  wood  of  the  skate  should  be  «lightly  hollowed,  so  as 
to  adapt  it  to  the  ball  of  the  foot ;  and  as  the  heel  of  the 
boot  must  be  thick  enough  to  admit  the  peg,  it  may  be  well 
to  lower  the  wood  of  the  skate  corresponding  to  the  heel, 
BO  as  to  permit  the  foot  to  regain  that  degree  o\  horizontal 

(105) 


«^ 


106  SKATING. 

position  which  it  would  otherwise  lose  by  the  height  of  the 
heel :  for  the  more  of  the  foot  that  is  in  contact  with  tht 
skate,  the  more  firmly  will  these  be  attached. 

As  the  tread  of  the  skate  should  correspond  as  nearly  as 
possible  with  that  of  the  foot,  the  wood  of  the  skate  should 
be  of  the  same  length  as  the  boot  or  shoe. 

The  irons  should  be  of  good  steel,  well  secured  in  the 
wood ;  and  should  pass  beyond  the  screw  at  the  heel  nearly 
as  far  as  the  wood  itself;  but  the  bows  of  the  iron  should 
not  project  much  beyond  the  wood. 

If  the  skate  project  much  beyond  the  wood,  the  whole 
foot,  and  more  especially  its  hind  part,  must  be  raised  con- 
siderably from  the  ice  when  the  front  or  bow  of  the  skate  is 
brought  to  bear  upon  it ;  and,  as  the  skater  depends  upon 
this  part  for  the  power  of  his  stroke,  it  is  evident  that  that 
must  be  greatly  diminished  by  the  general  distance  of  the 
foot  from  the  ice. 

In  short,  if  the  skate  be  too  long,  the  stroke  will  be 
feeble,  and  the  back  of  the  leg  painfully  cramped ;  if  it  be 
too  short,  the  footing  will  be  proportionably  unsteady  and 
tottering. 

As  the  position  of  the  person  in  the  act  of  skating  is  never 
vertical,  and  is  sometimes  very  much  inclined,  and  as  con- 
siderable exertion  of  the  muscles  of  the  leg  is  requisite  to 
keep  the  ankle  stiff,  this  ought  to  be  relieved  by  the  lowneM 
of  the  skates. 


DRESS    OP    THE    SKATER.  107 

Seeing,  then,  that  the  closer  the  foot  is  to  the  ice  the  less 
is  the  strain  on  the  ankle,  it  is  clear  that  the  foot  ought  to 
be  brought  as  near  to  the  ice  as  possible,  without  danger  of 
bringing  the  sole  of  the  shoe  in  contact  with  it,  while  travers- 
ing on  the  edge  of  the  skate.  The  best  height  is  about 
three  quarters  of  an  inch. 

The  iron  should  be  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick. 

The  more  simple  the  fastenings  of  the  skate  are,  the  bet- 
ter. The  two  straps,  namely,  the  cross  strap  over  the  toe, 
and  the  heel  strap,  cannot  be  improved,  unless,  perhaps,  by 
passing  one  strap  through  the  three  bores,  and  so  making  it 
serve  for  both. 

Before  going  on  the  ice,  the  young  skater  must  learn  to 
tie  on  the  skates,  and  may  also  learn  to  walk  with  them 
easily  in  a  room,  balancing  alternately  on  each  foot. 

DRESS  OF  THE  SKATER. 

A  skater's  dress  should  be  as  close  and  unencumbered  as 
possible.  Large  skirts  get  entangled  with  his  own  limbs, 
or  those  of  the  persons  who  pass  near  him  :  and  all  fulness 
of  dress  is  exposed  to  the  wind. 

Loose  trousers,  frocks,  and  more  especially  great  o.iats, 
must  be  avoided ;  and,  indeed,  by  wearing  additional  under- 
clothing, they  can  always  be  dispensed  with. 

As  tb  i  exercise  of  skating  produces  perspiration,  flannel 


f> 


108  -  SKATING. 

next  the  chest,  shoulders,  and  loins,  is  necessary  to  ayoid 
the  evils  produced  by  sudden  chills  in  cold  weather. 

The  best  dress  for  this  exercise  is  what  is  called  a  dress- 
coat  buttoned,  tight  pantaloons,  and  laced  boots  (having  the 
heel  no  higher  than  is  necessary  for  the  peg),  which  hold 
the  foot  tightly  and  steadily  in  its  place,  as  well  as  give  the 
best  support  to  the  ankle;  for  it  is  of  no  use  to  draw  the 
Btraps  of  the  skate  tight  if  the  boot  or  shoe  be  loose. 

^  PRELIMINARY    AND   GENERAL   DIRECTIONS. 

Either  very  rough  or  very  smooth  ice  should  be  avoided 

The  person  who  for  the  first  time  ventures  on  the  ice, 
must  not  trust  to  a  stick.  He  may  make  a  friend's  hand  his 
support  if  he  requires  one ;  but  that  should  be  soon  relin- 
quished, in  order  to  balance  himself.  He  will  probably 
scramble  about  for  half  an  hour  or  so,  till  he  begins  to  find 
out  where  the  edge  of  his  skate  is. 

The  following  directions  will  be  useful : 

The  beginner  must  be  fearless,  but  not  violent :  not  even 
in  a  hurry.  He  must  not  let  his  feet  get  far  apart,  and 
must  keep  his  heels  still  nearer  together.  He  must  keep 
.  the  ankle  of  the  foot  on  the  ice  quite  firm  ;  not  attempting 
to  gain  the  edge  of  the  skate  by  bending  it,  because  the 
right  mode  of  getting  to  either  edge  is  by  the  inclination  of 
the  whole  body  in  the  direction  required ;  and  this  inclina* 
tion  should  be  made  fearlessly  and  decisively.     He  must 


GENERAL    DIRECTIONS.  109 

keep  the  leg  which  is  on  the  ice  perfectly  straight;  for 
though  the  knee  must  be  somewhat  bent  at  the  time  of 
striking,  it  must  be  straightened  as  quickly  as  possible  with- 
out any  jerk.  The  leg  which  is  off  the  ice  should  also  be 
kept  straight,  though  not  stiff,  having  an  easy  though 
slight  play,  the  toe  pointing  downwards,  and  the  heel  being 
kept  within  from  six  to  twelve  inches  of  the  other.  He 
must  not  look  down  at  the  ice,  nor  at  the  feet,  to  see  how 
they  perform.  He  may  at  first  incline  his  body  a  little 
forward,  for  safety,  but  must  hold  his  head  up,  and  see 
where  he  goes.  He  must  keep  his  person  erect,  and  his 
face  rather  elevated  than  otherwise,  but  not  affectedly. 
When  once  off,  he  must  bring  both  feet  up  together,  and 
strike  again,  as  soon  as  he  finds  himself  steady  enough. 
While  skating,  he  must  rarely  allow  both  feet  to  be  on  the 
ice  together.  The  position  of  the  arms  should  be  easy  and 
varied ;  one  being  always  more  raised  than  the  other,  this 
elevation  being  alternate,  and  the  change  corresponding 
with  that  of  the  legs :  that  is,  the  right  arm  being  raised  as 
the  right  leg  is  put  down,  and  vice  versa,  so  that  the  arm 
and  leg  of  the  same  side  may  not  be  raised  together.  The 
face  must  be  always  turned  in  the  direction  of  the  line 
intended  to  be  described.  Hence,  in  backward  skating, 
the  head  will  be  inclined  much  over  the  shoulder ;  in  for- 
ward skating,  but  slightly.  All  sudden  and  violent  action 
must  be  avoided.     Stopping  may  be  caused  by  slightly 


110  SKATINO. 

bending  tli  >  knees,  drawing  the  feet  together,  inclining  tl4 
body  forward,  and  pressing  on  the  heels.  It  may  also  be 
caused  by  turning  short  to  the  right  or  left,  the  foot  on  the 
side  to  which  we  turn  being  rather  more  advanced,  and 
supporting  part  of  the  weight, 

THE  ORDINARY  RUN,  OR  INSIDE  EDGE  FORWARD. 

The  first  attempt  of  the  beginner  is  to  walk,  and  this 
walk  shortly  becomes  a  sliding  gait.  This  is  done  entirely 
on  the  inside  edge  of  the  skate.  The  first  impulse  is  to  be 
gained  by  pressing  the  inside  edge  of  one  skate  against  the 
ice,  and  advancing  with  the  opposite  foot.  To  effect  this 
the  beginner  must  bring  the  feet  nearly  together,  turn  the 
left  somewhat  out,  and  place  the  right  a  little  in  advance, 
and  at  right  angles  with  it :  lean  forward  with  the  right 
shoulder,  and  at  the  same  time  move  the  right  foot  onwards, 
and  press  sharply,  or  strike  the  ice,  with  the  inside  edge  of 
the  left  skate,  care  being  taken  instantly  to  throw  his  weight 
on  the  right  foot. 

While  thus  in  motion  the  skater  must  bring  up  the  left 
foot  nearly  to  a  level  with  the  other,  and  may  for  the  present 
proceed  a  short  way  on  both  feet.  He  must  next  place  the 
left  foot  in  advance  in  its  turn,  bring  the  left  shoulder  for- 
ward, inclining  to  that  side,  strike  from  the  inside  edge  of 
the  right  skate,  and  proceed  as  before.  Finally,  this  motion 
has  only  to  be  repeated  on  each  foot  alternately,  gradually 


THE   FORWARD   ROLL,   OR  OUTSIDE   EDGE.    Ill 

keeping  the  foot  from  which  he  struck  longer  off  the 
ice,  till  he  has  gained  sufficient  command  of  himself  to  keep 
it  off  altogether,  and  is  able  to  strike  directly  from  one  to 
the  other,  without  at  any  time  having  them  both  on  the  ice 
together. 

Having  practised  this  till  he  has  gained  some  degree  of 
firmness  and  power,  and  a  command  of  his  balance,  he  may 
proceed  to 

THE  FORWARD  ROLL,  OR  OUTSIDE  EDGE. 
This  is  commonly  reckoned  the  first  step  to  figure  skating, 
as,  when  it  is  once  effected,  the  rest  follows  with  ease.  The 
impulse  for  the  forward  roll  is  gained  in  the  same  manner 
as  for  the  ordinary  run ;  but,  to  get  on  the  outside  edge  of 
the  right  foot,  the  moment  that  foot  is  in  motion,  the  skater 
must  advance  the  left  shoulder,  throw  the  right  arm  back, 
look  over  the  right  shoulder,  and  incline  the  whole  person 
boldly  and  decisively  to  that  side,  keeping  the  left  foot  sus- 
pended behind,  with  its  toe  closely  pointed  to  the  heel  of 
the  right.  As  he  proceeds  he  must  bring  the  left  foot  past 
the  inside  of  the  right,  with  a  slight  jerk,  which  produces 
an  opposing  balance  of  the  body  ;  the  right  foot  must  quickly 
press,  first  on  the  outside  of  the  heel,  then  on  the  inside  of 
its  toe ;  the  left  foot  must  be  placed  down  before  it,  before 
it  is  removed  more  than  about  eight  or  ten  inches  from  the 
other  foot ;  and,  by  striking  outside  to  the  left,  and  giving 


112  SKATING. 

at  the  same  moment  a  strong  push  with  the  inside  of  iht 
right  toe,  the  skater  passes  from  right  to  left,  inclining  to 
the  left  side,  in  the  same  manner  as  he  did  to  the  right. 
The  skater  then  continues  to  change  from  left  to  right, 
and  from  right  to  left  in  the  same  manner.  He  must  not 
at  first  remain  long  upon  one  leg,  nor  scruple  occasionally 
to  put  the  other  down  to  assist.  And  throughout  he  must 
keep  himself  erect,  leaning  most  on  the  heel. 

The  Dutch  travelling  roll  is  done  on  the  outside  edge  for- 
ward, diverging  from  the  straight  line  no  more  than  ia 
requisite  to  keep  the  skate  on  its  edge. 

The  cross  roll  or  figure  8  is  also  done  on  the  outside  edge 
forward.  This  is  only  the  completion  of  the  circle  on  the 
outside  edge ;  and  it  is  performed  by  crossing  the  legs,  and 
striking  from  the  outside  instead  of  the  inside  edge.  In 
order  to  do  this,  as  the  skater  draws  to  the  close  of  the 
stroke  on  his  right  leg,  he  must  throw  the  left  quite  across 
it,  which  will  cause  him  to  press  hard  on  the  outside  of  the 
right  skate,  from  which  he  must  immediately  strike,  at  the 
same  time  throwing  back  the  left  arm,  and  looking  over  the 
left  shoulder,  to  bring  him  well  upon  the  outside  of  that 
skate.  By  completing  the  circle  in  this  manner  on  each 
leg  the  8  is  formed,  each  circle  being  small,  complete,  and 
vrell-formed  before  the  foot  is  changed. 

The  Mercury  Figure  is  merely  the  outside  and  inside 
foiiward  succeeding  each  other  on  the  same  leg  alternately, 


FIGURE    OF    THREE.  113 

by  which  a  serpentine  line  is  described.  This  is  skated 
with  the  force  and  rapidity  gained  by  a  run.  When  the 
rua  is  complete,  and  the  skater  on  the  outside  edge,  his 
person  l-rnraes  quiescent,  in  the  attitude  of  Mercury,  hav- 
ing the  right  arm  advanced  and  much  raised,  the  face  turned 
over  the  right  shoulder,  and  the  left  foot  oflF  the  ice,  a  short 
distance  behind  the  other,  turned  out  and  pointed. 

FIGURE  OF  THREE,  OR  INSIDE  EDGE  BACKWARD. 
This  figure  is  formed  by  turning  from  the  outside  edge 
forward  to  the  inside  edge  backward  on  the  same  foot.  The 
head  of  the  3  is  formed  like  the  half  circle,  on  the  heel  of 
the  outside  edge ;  but  when  the  half  circle  is  complete,  the 
skater  leans  suddenly  forward,  and  rests  on  the  same  toe 
inside,  and  a  backward  motion,  making  the  tail  of  the  3,  is 
the  consequence.  At  first  the  skater  should  not  throw  him- 
self quite  so  hard  as  hitherto  on  the  outside  forward,  in 
order  that  he  may  be  able  the  more  easily  to  change  to  the 
inside  back.  He  may  also  be  for  some  time  contented 
with  much  less  than  a  semicircle  before  he  turns.  Having 
done  this,  and  brought  the  left  leg  nearly  up  to  the  other, 
the  skater  must  not  pass  it  on  in  advance,  as  he  would  to 
complete  a  circle,  but  muht  throw  it  gently  off  sideways,  at 
the  same  moment  turning  the  face  from  the  right  to  the 
left  shoulder,  and  giving  the  whole  person  a  slight  inclina- 
tion to  the  left  side.  These  actions  throw  the  skater  upon 
8 


114  SKATINa. 

the  inside  of  his  skate ;  but  as  the  first  impulse  should  still 
retain  most  of  its  force,  he  continues  to  move  on  the  inside 
back,  i :  a  direction  so  little  different,  that  his  first  impulse 
loses  little  by  the  change.  If  unable  to  change  the  edge 
by  this  method,  the  skater  may  assist  himself  by  slightly 
and  gently  swinging  the  arm  and  leg  outward,  so  as  to 
incline  the  person  to  a  rotary  motion.  This  swing,  how- 
ever, must  be  corrected  as  soon  as  the  object  is  attained; 
and  it  must  generally  be  observed,  that  the  change  from 
edge  to  edge  is  to  be  effected  merely  by  the  inclination  of 
the  body,  not  by  swinging.  When  the  skater  is  able  to  join 
the  ends  of  the  3,  so  as  to  form  one  side  of  a  circle,  then  by 
striking  off  in  the  same  manner,  and  completing  another  3, 
with  the  left  leg,  the  combination  of  the  two  3's  will  form 
an  8.  In  the  first  attempts  the  3  should  not  be  made  above 
two  feet  long,  which  the  skater  will  acquire  the  power  of 
doing  almost  imperceptibly.  He  may  then  gradually 
extend  the  size  as  he  advances  in  the  art.  Though  back- 
ward  skating  is  spoken  of,  the  term  refers  to  the  skate  only, 
which  in  such  cases  moves  heel  foremost,  but  the  person  of 
the  skater  moves  sideways,  the  face  being  always  turned  in 
the  direction  in  which  he  is  proceeding. 

OUTSIDE  EDGE  BACKWARDS. 

Here  the  skater,  having  completed  the  3,  and  being  car- 
ried on  by  the  first  impulse,  still  continues  his  progress  in 


OUTSIDE    EDGE    BACKWARDS.  115 

tte  same  direction,  but  on  the  other  foot,  putting  it  down 
on  its  outside  edge,  and  continuing  to  go  backwards  slowly. 
To  accomplish  this,  the  skater,  after  making  the  3,  and 
placing  the  outside  edge  of  his  left  foot  on  the  ice,  should 
at  once  turn  his  face  over  the  right  shoulder,  raise  his  right 
foot  from  the  ice,  and  throw  back  his  right  arm  and 
shoulder.  If,  for  a  while,  the  skater  is  unable  readily  to 
raise  that  foot  which  has  made  the  3,  and  leave  himself  on 
the  outside  of  the  other  skate,  he  may  keep  both  down  for 
some  distance,  putting  himself,  however,  in  attitude  of  being 
on  the  outside  only  of  one  skate,  and  gradually  lifting  the 
other  off  the  ice,  as  he  acquires  ability.  When  finishing 
any  figure,  this  use  of  both  feet  back  has  great  convenience 
and  beauty.  Before  venturing  on  the  outside  backward, 
the  skater  ought  to  take  care  that  the  ice  is  clear  of  stones, 
reeds,  &c.,  and  must  also  be  certain  of  the  good  quality  of 
his  irons.  When  going  with  great  force  backward,  the 
course  may  be  deflected  so  as  to  stop  by  degrees ;  and,  when 
moving  slowly,  the  suspended  foot  may  be  put  down  in  a 
cross  direction  to  the  path. 

Such,  then,  are  the  four  movements  of  which  alone  the 
skate  is  capable :  namely,  the  inside  edge  forward ;  the 
outside  forward ;  the  inside  back ;  and  the  outside  back ; 
»u  which  has  been  seen  how  the  impulse  for  the  first  two  is 
gained,  and  how  the  third  flows  from  the  second,  and  the 
fourth  from  the  third.     By  the  combination  of  these  ele# 


116  SKATING. 

mcnts  of  skating,  and  the  variations  with  which  they  suo* 
ceed  each  other,  are  formed  all  the  evolutions  in  this  art. 

The  Double  Three  is  that  combination  in  which  the  skates 
are  brought  from  the  inside  back  of  the  first  three  to  the 
outside  forward  of  the  second.  Here  the  skater,  after  having 
completed  one  3,  and  being  on  the  inside  back,  must  bring 
the  whole  of  the  left  side  forward,  particularly  the  leg,  till 
it  is  thrown  almost  across  the  right,  on  which  he  is  skating. 
This  action  brings  him  once  more  to  the  outside  forward, 
from  which  he  again  turns  to  the  inside  back.  While  he 
is  still  in  motion  on  the  second  inside  back  of  the  right  leg, 
he  must  strike  on  the  left,  and  repeat  the  same  on  that. 
It  is  at  first  enough  to  do  two  3's  perfectly  and  smoothly. 
Their  number  from  one  impulse  may  be  increased  as  the 
skatfy  gains  steadiness  and  skill ;  the  art  of  accomplishing 
this  being  to  touch  as  lightly  as  possible  on  each  side  of 
the  skate  successively,  so  that  the  first  impulse  may  be  pre- 
served and  made  the  most  of. 

The  Back  Roll  is  a  means  of  moving  from  one  foot  to 
another.  Suppose  the  skater  to  have  put  himself  on  the 
outside  edge  back  of  the  left  leg,  with  considerable  impulse, 
by  means  of  the  3  performed  on  the  right — not  bearing 
hard  on  the  edge,  for  the  object  is  to  change  it,  and  take  up 
the  motion  on  the  right  foot — this  is  effected  by  throwing 
the  left  arm  and  shoulder  back,  and  turning  the  face  to  look 
over  them  ;  when,  having  brought  the  inside  of  his  left 


OUTSIDE    EDGE    BACKWARDS.  117 

ekate  to  bear  on  the  ice,  he  must  immediately  strike  from 
it  to  the  outside  back  of  the  other,  by  pressing  it  into  the 
ice  as  forcibly  as  he  can  at  the  toe.  Having  thus  been 
brought  to  the  backward  roll  on  the  right  foot,  he  repeats 
the  same  with  it. 

The  Back  Cross  Roll  is  done  by  changing  the  balance  of 
the  body,  to  move  from  one  foot  to  the  other,  in  the  same 
manner  as  for  the  back  roll.  Here  the  stroke  is  from  the 
outside  instead  of  the  inside  edge  of  the  skate;  the  edge 
on  which  he  is  skating  not  being  changed,  but  the  right 
foot,  which  is  off  the  ice,  being  crossed  at  the  back  of  the 
left,  and  put  down,  and  the  stroke  taken  at  the  same  mo- 
ment, from  the  outside  edge  of  the  left  skate  at  the  toe. 
As,  in  the  back  roll  t)f  both  forms,  the  strokes  are  but  feeble, 
the  skater  may,  from  time  to  time,  renew  his  impulse  as  he 
finds  occasion,  by  commencing  anew  with  the  3.  The  large 
outside  backward  roll  is  attained  by  a  run,  when  the  skater, 
having  gained  all  the  impulse  he  can,  strikes  on  the  out- 
side forward  of  the  right  leg,  turns  the  3,  and  immediately 
puts  down  the  left  on  the  outside  back.  He  then,  without 
further  effort,  flies  rapidly  over  the  ice ;  the  left  arm  being 
raised,  the  head  turned  over  the  right  shoulder,  and  the 
right  foot  turned  out  and  pointed. 


r»' 


ROWING. 


Indepenpently  of  being  one  of  the  finest  recrealiont 
both  of  youth  and  manhood,  this  delightful  occupation  may 
be  said  to  be  eminently  conducive  to  health.  The  very 
fact  that,  by  the  exertion  necessary  for  the  action  of  rowing, 
the  muscles  of  the  body  are  more  regularly  and  equally 
than  usual,  brought  into  play,  should  be  a  strong  inducement 
to  boys  to  practise  this  vigorous  pastime,  as  early  and  as 
much  as  possible.  And  it  should  always  be  remembered, 
that  it  need  never  exceed  the  bounds  of  moderation ;  other- 
wise, that  which  should  be  only  an  enjoyment,  too  frequently 
is  considered  a  task;  and  it  sometimes  occurs,  that  the 
trifling  and  temporary  bodily  fatigue  experienced  after  a 
little  more  than  ordinary  exertion,  is  magnified  ten-fold, 
and  boys  no  longer  derive  from  rowing,  that  gratification 
necessary  to  its  complete  enjoyment. 

The  benefits  that  result  from  it  are  considerable  ;  indeed, 
the  very  position  the  body  occupies,  while  in  the  act  of 
rowing,  is  an  evidrnce  of  its  advantages  to  the  general 

(118) 


BOWING.  119 

system  as  a  salutary  exercise.  The  muscular  exertion  of 
the  arms,  leg,  and  back,  is  equal,  or  very  nearly  so ;  and 
the  regular  motion  of  the  former,  not  only  does  not  impede 
respiration,  but  rather  assists  it,  by  producing  a  correspond- 
ing regularity  of  breathing.  Besides  this,  the  chest  is  well 
expanded,  and  this  fact  alone  is  the  best  argument  we  can 
adduce  in  favour  of  rowing  as  a  healthy  amusement,  for  in 
and  near  that  region  of  the  body,  are  situated  all  those 
organs  which  impart  life  and  motion  to  the  human  frame ; 
which  thus  obtains,  in  time,  increased  strength.  The 
muscles  become  more  powerful,  and  capable  of  enduring 
greater  fatigue,  and  the  whole  body  naturally  imbibes  a 
hardihood  and  vital  energy  that  gradually  increase  as  youth 
grows  up  to  manhood,  till  it,  at  last,  becomes  able  to  endure 
a  vast  amount  of  exertion  and  labour.  Contrast,  for  an 
instant,  the  appearance  of  a  boy,  to  whom  his  parents,  from 
mistaken  notions  of  rearing,  have  denied  all  open  air 
amusements — compare  his  sickly  features,  his  colourless 
eye,  the  pallor  of  his  thin  lip,  his  vapid  expression,  and  his 
frequently  attenuated  frame  and  disproportionate  limbs; 
with  one  who  has  been  taught  to  practise  those  healthy 
recreations,  which  it  has  been  the  purpose  of  this  book  to 
inculcate,  and  what  a  difference  do  we  not  behold.  In  the 
latter,  the  unraistakeable  signs  of  health  :  that  most  glorious 
gift  the  Almighty  has  bestowed  on  man,  present  themselves. 


120  ROWINO. 

A  warm,  rich  glow  mantles  over  his  cbeets,  his  eye  is 
bright  and  clear,  his  lip  full  and  red,  his  limbs  well  deve- 
loped and  admirably  proportioned.  All,  indeed,  breathe* 
of  a  sense  of  health  and  enjoyment.  And  it  may  be  affirmed 
beyond  doubt,  that  the  existence  of  a  boy  thus  disciplined 
to  bodily  exercise,  must  as  nearly  approach  the  perfection 
of  happiness,  as  it  is  possible  to  enjoy  on  this  planet,  which 
is  all  the  "world"  to  us  mortals. 

We  shall  divide  our  present  subject  into  several  heads; 
first  and  foremost  let  us  treat  of 

THE  BOAT. 
The  ancients  tell  us  that  a  straw,  or  some  say  the  branch 
of  a  tree,  floating  on  the  water,  suggested  itself  to  the 
mechanical  imagination  of  man,  who  thereupon,  and  long 
ere  the  use  of  iron  was  known,  fashioned  from  the  trunk 
of  a  tree  the  first  rude  boat.  The  primitive  attempt  was  at 
first  unsuccessful,  till  it  was  discovered  that  by  tapering  the 
ends  of  the  boat  (those  being  the  parts  on  which  the  wind 
blew  with  the  greatest  force),  and  thus  rendering  the  middle 
broader  than  the  extreme  ends,  the  boat  itself  was  kept 
afloat.  It  would  be  quite  out  of  place  to  explain  the  gradual 
improvements  in  the  art  of  boat-building;  it  must  be 
apparent  to  all  that  this  branch  of  mechanics  has  been 
brought  to  the  utmost  perfection,  uniting  at  once  a  degree 
of  elegance  with  safety  quite  unparalleled.   That  this  primi- 


STARTING.  121 

tive  method  has  suggested  itself  naturally  to  different  race 
of  mankind,  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  the  North  American 
Indians  possessed  a  light  species  of  canoe  and  the  South 
Sea  Islanders  a  cocoa  nut  shallop  or  pirogue :  the  design 
of  which  they  could  never  have  obtained  from  more  civi- 
lized nations,  because  there  is  ample  proof  that  they  pos- 
sessed these  means  of  crossing  rivers,  lakes,  and  even  seas, 
previously  to  the  first  visit  of  the  white  men.  It  is  easy 
to  imagine  how  the  paddle  and  its  use  first  suggested  itself, 
and  if  it  was  very  unlike  the  elegantly-shaped  scull  or  oar 
of  the  present  day,  no  one  can  deny  that  the  same  principle 
belongs  to  both.  It  remained  for  later  years  to  bring  it  to 
perfection  and  to  invent  the  rowlocks  of  a  boat,  by  which  so 
much  additional  impetus  is  obtained  by  the  stroke  of  the 
oar,  and  subsequently  the  outriggers,  which  are  daily  increas- 
ing in  public  estimation  for  their  good  qualities. 

IN  STARTING 

Too  much  caution  cannot  be  exercised  in  stepping  into  a 
boat,  more  especially  from  one  to  another,  at  which  times 
accidents  frequently  occur  unless  great  care  is  taken  to 
preserve  the  equilibrium  of  your  body  as  well  as  of  the 
boat.  That,  however,  effected,  the  next  care  is  to  push  the 
latter  off.  This  should  be  done  by  turning  its  stern  or 
head  towards  the  tide,  and  with  the  aid  of  a  boat-hook,  or 


122  E  OWING. 

if  that  be  Wanting,  a  bcuII  or  oar,  giving  it  an  impetus  tili 
she  is  fairly  afloat. 

SCULLING. 

If  you  are  about  to  row  with  a  pair  of  sculls,  seat  your- 
self in  the  centre  of  the  boat,  or  amid-ships,  as  it  is  techni- 
cally termed,  so  that  the  boat's  equipoise  may  be  equal, 
and  the  water  may  present  an  equal  resistance  round  the 
boat.  Keep  the  back,  from  the  shoulders  down  to  the  hip, 
perfectly  upright :  the  feet  should  be  in  the  middle  of  the 
stretcher,  and  pressed  firmly  against  the  footboard,  the  toes 
turned  outward,  and  the  heels  tolerably  close  together. 
Do  not,  previously  to  making  the  "  pull,"  or  stroke,  extend 
the  legs  quite,  but  in  bending  forward  keep  the  knees 
inclined,  and  the  former  will  necessarily  be  wide  apart,  so 
that  when  the  stroke  is  finished  they  will  close  together 
again,  becoming  very  nearly  straight.  Hold  the  sculls  by 
the  thinner  part  of  their  handles,  which  must  extend  or 
cross  over  each  other  in  front  just  sufl5ciently  to  allow  you, 
when  *'  pulling  home,"  to  bring  one  hand  likewise  over  the 
other.  Dip  the  blade  lightly  in  the  water  till  it  is  entirely 
immersed ;  you  will  then  perceive  that  the  moment  this  ia 
effected  the  arms  and  body  incliue  backward,  the  latter 
assuming  an  upright  position  as  the  arms  remain  extended  j 
then  pull  the  scull  firmly  and  rapidly,  but  without  jerking, 
until  the  hands  reach  the  chest';  nearly  the  middle  is  the 


PULLING    WITH    THE    OAR.  123 

best,  and  vfi€i  the  act  of  feathering  the  stroke  is  terminated. 
In  sculling,  we  have  said,  the  hands  pass  over  each  other, 
but  there  is  no  arbitrary  rule  as  to  whether  the  right  hand 
should  pass  over  the  left  or  vice  versd ;  many  scientific 
watermen  use  the  right  hand  uppermost  when  rowing 
against  tide,  and  the  left  hand  above  when  with  tide. 
Above  all,  never  forget  to  keep  a  good  look-out  over  the 
shoulder.  Most  of  the  accidents,  and  much  of  the  lament- 
able loss  of  life,  occur  from  negligence  on  this  point. 

PULLING  WITH  THE  OAR. 

You  seat  yourself  differently  when  using  the  oar,  than 
when  sculling.  In  the  former,  sit  nearer  to  the  gunwale  of 
the  boat,  which  is  balanced  by  the  next  oarsman  sitting  at 
an  equal  distance  frona  the  other  gunwale.  It  is  unneces- 
sary to  recapitulate  the  general  directions  as  to  position  and 
method  of  striking,  which  we  have  just  given  under  the 
head  of  sculling.  In  holding  the  oar,  you  must  recollect, 
when  sitting  on  the  starboard  side,  to  clasp  the  thin  part  of 
the  handle,  close  to  the  end,  with  your  right  hand,  and  with 
your  left  the  loom,  or  shoulder  of  the  oar,  at  the  point 
where  it  begins  to  increase  in  thickness.  The  body  should 
lean  forward  from  the  hips,  the  back  kept  straight,  and  the 
stroke  is  made  in  precisely  the  same  mode  as  when  sculling. 
After  the  stroke  is  made,  the  back  will  have  lost  a  little  of 
its  perpendicular  posi.tion,  the  head  being  erect;  the  body 


124  BOWING. 

and  arras  will  then  regain  their  natural  position,  and  aftei«» 
wards  be  brought  quickly  forward,  on  the  repetition  of  the 
stroke.  Your  eyes  should  look  '•'  straight  ahead,"  as  it  is  the 
duty  of  your  coxswain  to  keep  the  boat  free  from  danger. 

FEATHERING. 
You  will  not  forget  that,  previously  to  pulling,  the  arms 
are  extended,  and  the  wrists  perfectly  straight.  When  the 
sculls  have  passed  through  the  water,  just  at  the  end  of  the 
stroke,  the  elbows  must  be  lowered,  and  the  wrists  raised, 
so  that  the  back  of  each  hand  can  be  turned  towards  that 
part  of  the  arm  between  the  elbow  and  the  shoulder.  This 
is  called  the  fore-arm,  and  in  this  mode  "feathering"  is 
effected.  During  the  return  of  the  sculls,  the  hands  must 
be  kept  in  this  position,  until  you  are  about  to  begin  an- 
other stroke,  by  dipping  the  former  in  the  water.  Then  let 
the  sculls  be  raised  a  little  out  of  the  water,  but  not  too 
high,  otherwise  the  stroke  will  be  deprived  of  half  its  power  j 
and  you  will  not  osnly  pull  awkwardly,  but  fall  into  other 
faults  studiously  to  be  avoided.  But  be  sure  to  raise  the 
Bculls  sufficiently  high  out  of  the  water,  or  you  will  pro- 
bably feather  either  under  it  or  on  its  surface,  and  thereby 
lose  the  impetus  of  the  stroke,  at  an  unnecessary  expendi- 
ture of  strength. 

TO  BACK  WATER. 
The  method  of  effecting  this  important  proceeding  in 


KULES    AND    DIRECTIONS.  125 

boating  tactics  is  thus  performed.  Keep  the  oars  or  sculls 
a  little  beneath  the  water,  the  concave  or  broad  portion  of 
the  blade  fronting  you  j  then  push  against  it  with  force, 
and  the  boat  will  consequently  recede  through  the  water  j 
and  thus  is  accomplished  what  is  technically  termed  "  hack' 
ing  water," 

CROSSING. 
When  a  bcrat  is  being  rowed  directly  across  the  stream, 
and  another  is  advancing  towards  it,  with  the  tide  in  its 
favour,  the  latter  must  proceed  astern  of  the  former. 

PASSING. 

When  the  channel  is  narrow,  the  boat  which  is  overtaken 
must  remain  inside,  while  the  boat  passing  it  must  take 
care  to  keep  beyond  reach  of  the  other's  oars  or  sculls. 
This  is  invariably  the  regulation,  unless  it  happens  that 
there  is  more  than  sufficient  space  for  the  advancing  boat  to 
retain  the  inside  position  without  fear  of  coming  in  contact 
■with  the  other's  oars  or  sculls. 

MEETING. 

When  one  boat  is  met  by  another,  that  one  which  has  the 
tide  in  its  favour  is  bound  to  give  way  to  the  other,  if  there 
is  not  sufficient  space  for  both  to  proceed  uninterruptedly. 
It  often  occurs  that  this  space  is  so  narrow  and  confined  as 


iSa  BOWING. 

to  cause  both  boats  to  come  in  contact  with  each  other.     In  . 
Budx  a  case,  each  boat's  crew  must  lift  their  oars  or  sculls 
from  the  rowlocks,  either  allowing  them  to  drift  alongside, 
or  replacing  them  in  the  boat — technically  called  "  unship- 
jiinff"  them — till  the  temporary  difficulty  is  overcome. 

TIDES. 

On  this  head  it  is  scarcely  needful  to  observe  more,  than 
that,  when  rowing  with  the  tide  the  middle  of  the  stream 
of  course  is  best,  as  the  current  at  that  point  is  considerably 
more  rapid  than  at  its  sides.  When  however  the  tide  is 
against  you,  it  must  be  evident  that  the  sides  of  the  stream 
will  be  more  favourable  to  you,  in  progress,  inasmuch  as 
the  current,  as  we  said  before,  has  less  influence  at  those 
places  than  at  the  middle. 

LANDING. 
In  order  to  land  or  disembark  at  any  particular  spot,  if 
the  tide  is  in  your  favour,  let  the  boat  be  steered,  or  guide 
it  yourself  when  you  use  no  rudder,  in  a  slightly  oblique 
direction  towards  the  place,  in  order  that  as  you  approach 
it,  the  stern  may  be  taken  down  by  the  current,  for  it  is 
always  better  to  land  stern  to  tide.  On  arriving  at  the 
place  of  landing,  your  first  care  must  be  to  unship  the  oars 
or  sculls,  and  replace  them  in  the  boat,  their  blades  forward, 
and  their  looms  or  shoulders  aft.     Then  with  the  assistance 


RULES    AND    DIRECTIONS.  127 

of  the  painter  or  head-fast,  as  it  is  somewhat  more  correctly 
termed,  jump  ashore,  and  affix  the  boat  to  some  object 
which  will  insure  its  security. 

REMEMBER 

I.  That  keeping  stroke  and  time  are  the  two  chief  points 
demanding  an  oarsman's  care. 

_  II.  That  each  oarsman  while  rowing  must  strictly  obey 
the  command  of  the  coxswain. 

III.  And  must  also  be  very  particular  to  take  his  time 
from  the  strokesman,  or  the  rower  who  sits  nearest  to  the 
boat's  stern.    . 

IV.  Then  ivhen  there  is  any  swell  on  the  water,  which 
is  caused  as  well  by  the  paddle  of  steam<boats,  as  by  rough, 
windy  weather,  you  cannot  be  too  careful  in  keeping  the 
boat's  bow  or  head  well  facing  it.  The  swell  of  a  river 
is  sometimes  nearly  as  dangerous  to  cutters,  &c.,  as  is  the 
heavy  ground-swell  of  the  Atlantic  to  the  galleys  of  a  man- 
of-war,  which  can  seldom  live  in  it. 

AVOID 

I.  TJiroivinff  up  water. — This  is  a  source  of  very  great 
annoyance  to  others  in  the  boat,  and  should  be  studiously 
avoided. 

II.  Catcldng  crabs. — When  any  one  falls  backward  from 
the  seat  because  of  his  scull  or  oar  passing  through  the  water 


128  ROWING. 

while  attempting  to  pull,  he  is  said  to  "  catch  a  crab,"  and 
it  is  of  so  unpleasant  a  nature,  that  the  amateur  generally 
overcomes  the  ill  habit  as  quickly  as  possible. 

III.  Jerking — for  it  is  a  fault  to  which  powerfully-mus- 
cular men  are  peculiarly  prone,  because  instead  of  bending 
back  the  body  gradually,  and  thus  by  their  mere  weight 
partially  pulling,  they  depend  solely  on  their  strength  of 
arm  and  wrist,  and  generally  pull  too  suddenly  and  violently. 
In  consequence  of  the  stroke  not  being  continued  by  falling 
backward,  it  is  terminated  sooner  than  it  should  be,  and  a 
jerk  is  the  consequence :  this  destroys  the  swing  of  the 
boat,  which  should  be  uniform.  But  besides  this  the  rower 
becomes  quickly  wearied,  the  propulsive  power  materially 
lessened,  and  it  is  a  source  of  considerable  annoyance  to  the 
remainder  of  the  boat's  crew. 

IV.  Doubling  the  hody — over  the  oar  at  the  end  of  the 
pull,  thereby  hindering  the  advancing  forward  of  the  body 
and  arms  simultaneously;  a  feature  in  good  rowing  very 
important. 

V.  Slackening  the  arms  too  quickly — which  lessens  the 
impetus  of  the  stroke,  frequently  impedes  the  progress  of 
the  boat. 

VI.  Feathering  the  scuUs  hefore  they  are  withdrawn  from 
the  water — or  pernutting  them  to  be  borne  along  by  the 
boat.  By  the  former  you  needlessly  increase  your  own 
exertion,  and  by  the  latter  you  partially  stop  the  boai 


RULES    A'Ki)    DIRECTIONS.  120 

These  faults  will  not  unfrequcntly  occur  •when  the  boat  is 
very  light,  and  draws  but  a  few  inches  of  water,  and  they 
often  happen  even  in  boats  of  ordinary  size  and  weight.  To 
8-"'  Id  them,  dip  the  scull  deeper  at  the  beginning  of  tha 
^mll. 

VII.  Roioing  until  the  hack  curved. — This,  as  we  have 
previously  explained,  is  a  very  common  blemish,  and  should 
be  avoided,  as  the  speed  is  very  much  decreased  in  con- 
sequence. 

VIII.  Pulling  into  the  boat — as  it  is  calculated  to  rock 
it,  by  which,  of  course,  considerable  power  is  lost.  This 
fault  arises  from  holding  the  sculls  so  that  the  hands  are 
too  close  together. 

IX.  Pulling  out  of  the  boat. — This  is  the  effect  produced 
by  an  unsteady  rower,  who  is  apt  to  roll  towards  the  gunwale 
of  the  boat  in  falling  back  after  pulling,  and  is  amended  by 
sitting  nearer  to  the  gunwale  These  last  two  faults  arfl 
particularly  the  case  with  persons  ambitious  of  distinction, 
and  "  showing  off,"  but  deficient  of  ability  and  power.  By 
the  experienced  eye,  they  are  however  quickly  discovered, 
and  a  laugh  is  the  only  result. 

X.  Rowing  round — which  is  caused  by  not  dipping  the 
Bculls  or  oar  in  the  water  sufficiently  deep  at  first.  The 
rower  feels  that  the  water  does  not  offer  adequate  resistance, 
and  thereupon  endeavours  to  deepen  the  blade  of  the  oar, 
thus  describing  the  segment  of  a  circle,  and  bringing  the 

9 


IW  ROWING. 

flat  portion  of  the  blade  almost  perpendicularly  to  the  water 
— the  boat  is  consequently  pressed  down  by  the  strain. 
"  Catching  crabs"  frequently  results  from  this  ill  habit, 
which  should  be  cautiously  shunned. 

XI.  Capping  the  oar — or  the  end  of  it,  with  the  hands. 
Independently  of  its  awkward  appearance,  it  gives  birth  to 
many  of  the  faults  we  have  previously  cited. 

XII.  Not  keeping  stroke. — It  is  very  different  from  not 
keeping  time.  It  is  not  tcorJcing  in  the  same  manner  as 
the  stroke  oar,  even  though  you  may  keep  time  by  dropping 
your  oar  into  the  water  at  the  same  moment  as  the  strokes- 
man  does.  This  is  perhaps  the  most  dangerous  "fault  of  all 
we  have  enumerated,  inasmuch  as  the  entire  progress  of 
the  boat  depends  upon  the  equal  and  simultaneous  efforts 
of  its  crew.  Remember,  therefore,  that  the  pull  must  begin 
directly  the  blade  of  your  oar  is  thoroughly  immersed  in 
the  watei. 

XIII.  Not  keeping  timt.. — ^The  awkwardness  of  this  fault 
should  alone  induce  you  to  overcome  it  as  soon  as  possible. 
But  if  you  cannot  beep  time  (that  is  by  not  dropping  your 
oar  into  the  water  simultaneously  with  the  strokesman)- 
you  will  find  yourself  unfit  to  row  with  o'lv.rs,  and  they 
will  shun  you  in  consequence. 

SEA  ROWING 
The  game  general  remarks  we  have  given  as  aj'plicabie  to 


SEA    ROWING.  131 

river  rowing  will  also  be  of  service  on  this  head ;  and  we 
need  add  nothing  else  than  the  following  cautions.  If  there 
is  a  swell  when  landing  on  the  sea-shore,  exercise  some- 
what more  care  than  you  wouM  on  a  river.  The  boats,  how- 
ever, used  on  the  sea,  are  always  stronger,  larger,  and  better 
manned ;  but  it  is  always  advisable  to  watch  for  a  smooth, 
or  temporary  abatement  of  the  swell,  and  as  soon  as  a  good 
opportunity  presents  itself,  seize  it,  and  with  united  strength 
pull  towards  the  shore,  forcing  the  boat  as  high  upon  the 
beach  as  possible.  It  is  then  the  duty  of  the  bowman  to 
jump  ashore  with  the  painter,  or  headfiist,  in  his  han«l,  and 
drag  the  boat  beyond  the  reach  of  the  surf.  It  is  the  work 
of  a  moment  for  the  crew  to  unship  their  oars  and  lay  them 
in  the  boat,  as  previously  described,'  and  to  jump  ashore  to 
render  assistance  to  the  bowman  if  needed.  This  aid  should 
always  be  tendered  on  occasions  where  the  boat  is  large  and 
heavy,  and  the  surf  high. 

Somewhat  less  easy  of  accomplishment  is  it  to  launch  a 
boat  from  the  sea  beach.  If  the  swell  is  rather  heavy,  and 
the  boat  large,  the  two  bowmen  should  enter  the  boat  ready 
to  use  their  oars  at  a  momentV  notice.  The  remainder  of 
the  crew  in  equal  divisions  on  'ich  side,  should  then  grasp 
her  gunwale,  and  propel  her  bow  toward  the  sea,  and  in 
order  to  do  this  they  are  generally  compelled  to  enter  the 
water.  Not  until  she  is  fairly  off  shore  should  they  jump 
in,  for  the  probability  would  be,  that  if  the  swell  carried  h&S 


ROWING. 

back,  so  that  she  grounded,  and  shipped  a  sea,  her  head 
would  be  turned,  and  she  would  be  capsized  by  the  next  sea 
before  her  crew  could  prevent  it.  It  sometimes  happens, 
too,  that  even  when  aHoat,  her  head  is  turned  by  reason 
of  her  crew's  movement  not  being  sufficiently  rapid  in  get- 
ting her  well  off:  when  this  occurs,  the  two  bowmen  should 
proceed  to  the  bow  with  their  oars,  or  still  better,  with  their 
boat-hooks,  and  propel  the  boat's  head  from  the  shore,  by 
forcing  them  into  the  strand.  Remember  that  your  boat's 
broadside  lying  to  sea  is  accompanied  by  very  great  danger ; 
the  heat's  stern  should  always  be  kept  hard  to  sea  if  pos- 
sible, and  it  will  be  found  much  less  difficult  to  keep  it  thus, 
than,  when  the  swell  has  once  turned  it  shoreward,  to  regain 
its  head-way  to  sea. 

TERMS  USED  IN  BOATING. 

Bow. — ^The  head  of  the  boat. 

Bow  oar. — The  right,  or  starboard  oar,  nearest  the  boW 
of  the  boat. 

Bowman. — The  man  nearest  the  boat's  bow. 

Coxswain. — He  who  steers  the  boat. 

Cut-water. — The  stem,  or  head's  point 

Foresheets. — The  open  space  towards  the  boat's  head. 

Head  fast. — A  rope  affixed  forward  to  secure  the  boat 
%ftei  landing. 


A    PEW    FINAL    REMARKS.  133 

In  Bow. — A  direction  for  the  bowman  to  prepare  with 
his  boat-hook  to  make  all  clear  for  shore. 

Out-riggers. — The  modern  improvement  on  rowlocks. 

Bow  off. — The  direction  given  by  the  coxswain  for  the 
oars  to  be  laid,  in  being  unshipped,  with  their  blades  for- 
ward. 

Rowlochs. — The  interstices  made  in  the  boat's  gunwale 
for  the  insertion  of  the  sculls  or  oars. 

"  Ship"  the  sculls,  or  oars. — To  insert  them  in  the  row- 
locks ready  for  rowing. 

Stern  Sheets. — The  space  between  the  bowman's  seat  and 
the  stern. 

Stroke  oar. — That  which  the  strokesman  uses.  ' 

Strokesman. — The  rower  who  sits  nearest  the  stern. 

Strokeside. — The  right  or  "  port"  side. 

Thowl pins. — Sometimes  used  for  rowlocks. 

Tiller.— The  rudder. 

Unship  sculls. — The  order  to  take  them  out  of  the  row- 
locks. 

Weather  oar. — So  called  ^'  -  it  is  on  that  side  from 
which  the  wind  blows. 

A  FEW  FINAL  REMARKS. 
In  the  preceding  hints  we  have  endeavoured  to  explain, 
as  succinctly  as  lay  in  our  power,  not  only  the  method  where- 
Ky  it  is  comparatiyely  easy  to  become  an  expert  rower,  but 


1S4  KOWING. 

have  recapitulated  all  those  faults  which  should  most  stu. 
diously  be  avoided,  and  those  directions  cannot,  we  think, 
fail  to  make  any  one  theoretically  acquainted  with  the  art 
of  rowing,  if  he  will  endeavour  to  understand  and  recollect 
them.  The  old  proverb,  "  Practice  makes  perfect,"  so  ad- 
mirable in  itself,  is  peculiarly  applicable  in  the  present 
instance.  The  best  theory  will  never  make  one  a  master 
of  any  art,  nor  will  practice  alone  effect  it.  It  is  by  the 
conjunction  of  the  two,  however,  that  we  are  enabled  to 
overcome  all  its  obstacles,  and  to  obtain  the  complete 
mastery.  The  difficulties  that  beset  the  learner  during  his 
first  attempts  with  the  scull  or  oar  are  manifold,  but  let  him 
not  be  disheartened  by  them.  The  observance  and  practice 
of  our  directions  will  soon  surmount  them.  In  the  mean 
time,  let  us  advise  him  to  take  a  few  practical  lessons  from 
Bonie  experienced  person,  which  will  considerably  facilitate 
his  progress. 

And  we  would  seriously  impress  on  each  of  our  young 
readers  the  necessity,  until  they  shall  have  obtained  some 
little  knowledge  of  the  art,  of  not  venturing  into  a  boat 
without  some  experienced  friend  or  waterman.  Many  la- 
mentable cases  of  loss  of  life  have  occurred  by  these  prema- 
ture attempts  at  rowing.  In  a  little  time,  with  patience 
and  practice,  he  will,  like  the,  "Jolly  Young  Waterman" 
himself,  be  enabled  to 

"  Feather  Ms  oars  with  skill  and  dexterity." 


f;nf 


EIPING. 


This  accomplishment,  besides  being  a  most  elegant  and 
fascinating  exercise,  may  justly  be  called  one  of  the  "busi- 
nesses of  life,"  and  is  besides  one  of  the  ambitions  to  which 
manhood  and  boyhood  more  or  less  are  prone.  But  we  are 
not  about  to  inflict  on  our  young  readers  a  tiresome  disser- 
tation on  this  subject.  The  heavier  care  of  endeavouring 
to  explain  lucidly,  and  within  our  limited  compass,  the  mys- 
teries of  riding,  presses  upon  us. 

THE  HORSE. 

This  noble  creature,  the  monarch  of  domestic  animals, 
has  been  so  frequently  and  so  well  described  as  to  need  no 
further  eulogy  from  a  pen  so  humble  as  ours.  Suflice  it  to 
say,  that  for  beauty,  intelligence,  docility,  and  courage,  he 
is  not  to  be  surpassed.  To  the  ancients  as  well  as  to  our« 
selves,  the  noble  nature  of  the  horse  has  endeared  him  ;  and 
bin  was  a  master-spirit  who  called  this  pride  of  Natural 
History,  the  "  Friend  of  Man." 

(135) 


136  RIDING, 

THE  SADDLE 
Should  be  fixed  carefully,  about  an  inch,  or  perhaps  more, 
behind  the  flat  bone  of  the  shoulder,  called  the  '^ plate  hone,'* 
and  should  be  at  least  4  inches  from  the  hips.  Frequently 
the  saddle  is  fixed  too  forward,  and  when  this  is  the  case, 
the  rider  is  too  close  to  the  horse's  neck,  and  is  consequently 
less  able  to  control  its  motions.  Besides,  it  impedes  the 
free  action  of  the  animal's  shoulder,  and  renders  him  more 
liable  to  trip.  A  crupper  is  sometimes  necessary  to  keep 
the  saddle  from  working  or  ^'■riding"  forward,  and  pos- 
sesses the  advantage  of  permitting  the  girths  to  be  some- 
what more  loose  than  when  the  girths  alone  sustain  the 
saddle  in  its  proper  position,  A  saddle  that  fits  well  is  a 
luxury,  as  all  riders  will  tell  you,  and  horses,  too,  if  they 
could  articulate  j  and  your  seat  is  always  uneasy  if  the  sad- 
dle bears  too  closely  on  one  side,  and  the  reverse  way  on  the 
other ;  remember  that  it  should  always  press  evenly  on  the 
ribs.  Always  tighten  the  girths  equally  on  both  sides  of 
the  saddle.  It  is  too  generally  done  on  the  near  or  U-ft  side 
only,  and  this  is  the  cause  of  frequent  discomfort  both  to 
horse  and  rider.  Take  care  to  buckle  the  back  girth  in  the 
first  place,  and  afterwards  that  in  front,  which  is  made  to 
lap  over  the  other  so  as  to  preserve  it  in  its  proper  place. 
When  a  horse  is  malformed,  you  must,  in  order  that  the 
saddle  should  not  shift  on  to  the  withers,  tighten  the  back 
girth  over  the  front. 


THE    BRIDLE.  18T' 

THE  STIRRUPS. 

In  order  to  ascertain  the  correct  length  of  the  stiiTups, 
place  the  finger-tips  of  the  right  hand  on  one  of  the  stirrup- 
leather  catches,  and  either  increase  or  diminish  the  number 
of  holes,  until  the  stirrup  just  reaches  to  the  right  arm-pit. 
This  will  be  found  in  most  instances  to  succeed. 

THE  BRIDLE. 

After  the  saddle  is  adjusted,  the  next  duty  is  to  remove 
the  halter,  and  fix  the  bridle,  not  the  least  important  of  the 
horse's  equipments.  And  first  of  the  bit — called  in  former 
times,  the  hitle.  It  should  be  neither  too  large,  nor  the 
contrary,  but  preserve  that  happy  medium  which  secures 
safety  to  the  rider  and  comfort  to  the  horse.  We  have  not 
space  to  enter  into  a  description  of  the  various  bits,  &c.,  of 
modern  use,  but  merely  warn  our  youAg  readers  against 
the  use  of  the  lever  or  curb-hit,  which  not  only  injures  the 
horse's  mouth,  but  ruins  his  temper  and  pace,  its  whole 
force  being  concentrated  on  the  animal's  jaw.  It  possesses 
the  power  ot  pinching  the  bars  with  such  cruel  violence  that 
fracture  of  the  bone  has  not  unfrequently  occurred,  even 
with  branches  of  no  unusual  length ;  and  can  likewise  crush 
and  bruise  the  skin  beneath  the  jaw  and  the  tender  covering 
of  the  inside  of  the  mouth.  Horses  should  never  be  pun. 
ished  unnecessarily,  for  they  vary  materially  in  the  degree 
of  command  over  the  mouth.    If  a  Lorse  falls  to  the  ground 


138  RIDING. 

through  violently  pulling  one  of  these  lever-bits,  the  result 
is  frequently  fracture  of  the  jaw.  But  a  high-spirited  horso 
will  not  brook  a  curb-bit,  and  the  snaffle  is  then  adopted 
instead ;  and  we  would  recommend,  with  the  most  unqua- 
lified approval,  the  use  of.  tho  latter  in  all  cases.  Double 
reins  are  perhaps  to  be  preferred  to  the  single  rein  when  a 
horse  will  submit  to  them,  inasmuch  as  they  give  the  rider 
an  entire  control  over  the  animal  with  the  left  hand  merely ; 
and  besides,  they  are  stronger  than  the  single  snaffle. 
When  you  use  the  double  reins,  recollect  the  bridoon  or 
snaffle  is  regulated  by  one  rein,  and  the  curb  by  the  other. 
In  bridling,  look  that  the  curb  chain  and  snap,  and  the 
throat-lash,  are  loose,  then  introduce  the  right  arm  through 
the  reins,  so  as  to  separate  them,  and  hold  the  check-straps 
and  head-stall  by  the  right  thumb ;  after  that  pass  the  reins 
over  the  animal's  head,  suffering  them  to  remain  on  his  neck, 
substitute  your  left  thumb  for  your  right,  and  guiding  the 
bit  into  his  mouth  with  the  left  hand,  at  the  same  moment 
bringing  over  the  horse's  ears  the  head-stall.  The  throat- 
lash  should  be  fastened  sufficiently  loose  to  enable  you  to 
introduce  two  of  your  fingers  between  it  and  the  horse's 
cheek.  Then  take  care  that  the  curb-chain  be  not  twisted, 
and  draw  the  links  up  so  as  to  allow  space  enough  to  insert 
the  forefingers  between  the  animal's  jaw  and  the  curb.  If 
the  horse  keeps  his  head  steady,  he  may  be  sure  the  bit  ia 
correctly  freed ;  and  this  will  be  confirmed  by  the  readiness 


TO   MOUNT.  139 

with  which  he  obeys  his  rider,  and  by  his  easiness  and 
lightness  in  hand.  If  a  noseband  is  added  to  the  bridle  it 
must  not  be  buckled  too  tightly,  but  so  as  to  admit  the 
same  amount  of  play. 

TO  MOUNT, 
Stand,  whip  in  left  hand  with  its  handle  upwards,  before 
the  horse's  left  shoulder,  take  between  the  forefinger  and 
thumb  of  the  right  hand  the  snaffle  rein  at  its  centre,  allow- 
ing the  curb-rein  to  remain  loose  on  the  animal's  neck,  draw 
the  former  (the  snaffle  rein)  up  between  the  first  and  third 
finger  of  the  left  hand — the  middle  finger  separating  them 
— until  it  is  sufficiently  tight  for  you  to  feel  the  horse's 
mouth,  and  let  the  slack  end  drop  over  the  middle  joint  of 
the  forefinger,  so  that  it  falls  down  on  the  ofi-side  of  the 
animal's  neck.  Afterwards  take  the  centre  of  the  curb- 
rein  between  the  forefinger  and  thumb  of  the  right  hand, 
taking  care  that  they  hang  more  loosely  than  the  snaffle 
rein.  Divide  it  with  the  little  finger  of  the  left  hand ;  draw 
the  slack  ends  up  the  palm,  and  let  them  fall  over  the  ends 
of  the  snaffle  rein  on  the  off'-side.  This  accomplished,  then 
grasp  firmly  a  lock  of  the  horse's  mane,  with  the  left  hand, 
using  the  precaution  not  to  displace  the  reins  it  holds — rest 
it  on  the  animal's  neck,  within  six  or  eight  inches  distauco 
from  the  pummel  of  the  saddle,  close  to  the  withers.  Then 
introduce  the  left  foot  into  the  stirrup,  and  as  this  is  some- 


140  RIDING. 

what  difficult  to  tyros,  bold  it  in  the  right  hand  for  thai 
purpose ;  after  that  rest  the  right  hand  on  the  cantlc,  and 
raise  the  body  till  the  right  foot  is  close  to  the  left,  and  the 
saddle  is  pressed  by  both  knees.  Shift  the  right  hand  from 
the  cantle  to  the  pummel,  and  move  the  right  leg  rapidly, 
but  without  jerking  or  haste,  over  the  horse,  and  fall  easily 
— it  is  a  little  difficult  at  first — into  the  saddle ;  strike  the 
right  stirrup  quickly  with  the  toe  of  your  right  boot,  which 
can  be  done  by  inclining  it  slightly  inwards,  and  as  the 
stirrup  swings  round  insert  the  foot  into  it.  Practise  this 
a  few  times  at  first,  because  the  hand  should  on  no  occasion 
be  employed  when  you  lose  the  stirrups,  and  you  will  soon 
be  enabled  to  drop  them,  even  when  galloping,  and  by 
striking  both  toes  at  once  inwards  regain  possession  of 
them. 

The  rein  should  be  drawn  up,  when  once  seated,  and 
the  whip  now  transferred  into  the  right  hand.  The  snaffle 
must  be  held  so  as  to  give  the  horse's  head  unfettered  motion; 
the  curb-chain  however  will  require  to  be  more  slackened 
than  the  former. 

As  to  position  when  on  horseback,  we  need  scarcely  say 
more  than  that  the  head  should  be  held  perpendicularly, 
the  chin  drawn  back,  the  chest  expanded,  the  shoulders 
back,  and  the  hip  curved.  The  best  advice  we  can  offer  on 
this  point  is,  that  the  rider  should  generally  bend  his  looks 
in  front  of  him,  and  over  the  horse's  head,  between  tbi 


WALKING.  141 

ears.  The  elbows  Bhould  be  close  to  the  sides,  the  bridle- 
hand  uppermost.  Do  not  sit  too  backward  in  the  saddle, 
nor,  on  the  contrary,  too  close  to  the  pommel.  The  legs 
should  not  remain  in  that  straight,  stiff  mode  so  distinctive 
of  the  "  London  Cockney,"  but  the  knees  slightly  curved : 
80  that,  in  fact,  the  foot-bar  of  the  stirrup  reach  about  an 
inch  beyond  the  ankle.  It  is  an  excellent  method  to  practise 
without  stirrups,  for  it  should  not  be  forgotten,  that  these 
articles  are  only  intended  as  a  me-ins  whereby  to  mount, 
and  to  dismount,  and  as  a  rest  merely  for  the  fOot,  the 
ankles  of  which  would  probably  be,  otherwise,  liable  to 
painful  swellings,  and  not  as  an  aid  for  a  rider  to  sustain  a 
firm  seat. 

WALKING. 

Let  us  take  "walking"  as  the  first  illustration  of  the 
horse's  paces,  and  in  this  act  the  animal  has  always  one  leg 
off  the  ground  and  three  on  it.  In  order  to  urge  the  horse 
to  move  in  a  walk,  increase  the  action  on  his  mouth  a  little 
by  holding  up  the  hand,  and  press  his  flanks  with  both  legs 
slightly,  but  rather  more  on  the  right  side  to  indicate  the 
rider's  will  that  the  horse  should  raise  or  "  lead"  his  right 
leg  first.  The  intelligent  animal  will  quickly  obey  this 
command,  and  then  the  pressure  on  the  mouth  should  be 
eased  and  that  of  the  legs  relaxed,  or  the  walk  will  soon  be 
increased  into  a  trot. 


142  RIDING. 

In  Older  to  make  the  horse  halt  while  w^alking,  the  rider's 
arms  should  be  pressed  to  his  side,  and  both  reins  tightened 
gradually,  but  decisively,  towards  the  chest,  the  horseman 
also  bending  back  his  body  so  as  to  add  a  firmer  direction 
to  the  animal.  This  intimation  should  not  be  repeated  by 
pulling  the  rein  after  the  first  time,  as  the  horse  will  instinct- 
ively obey  the  check  at  once. 

TROTTING. 
If  you  desire  the  animal  to  trot,  press  both  legs  firmly 
to  his  flanks,  and  raise  the  bridle-hand  at  the  same  time, 
but  without  a  jerk.  It  is  frequently  necessary  to  encourage 
a  horse  with  the  voice  ;  and  so  accustomed  does  this  docile 
animal  become  to  his  rider's  word  of  command,  that  it  is 
obeyed  readily  and  with  wonderful  intelligence.  Once  in 
a  trot,  however,  you  can  sufier  the  hand  to  resume  and 
retain  its  proper  position,  and  ease  his  mouth ;  do  not  lean 
too  forward,  and  let  the  knees  and  thighs  clasp  the  horse's 
flank,  not  the  former  merely.  The  body  should  be  carried 
so  that  it  can  yield  without  efi'ort  to  the  action  of  the  horse, 
by  rising  or  sinking  in  the  saddle  easily.  The  animal's 
action  or  jjace  should  never  be  anticipated  by  the  rider  in 
his  desire  to  assist  it,  inasmuch  as  it  looks  very  awkward 
iud  makes  him  appear  as  if  momentarily  in  danger  of  fall- 
ing ofl;  a  person  who  "  rides  quicker  than  his  horse,"  as  the 
phrase  goes,  is  generally  a  subject  for  ridicule.     Boys  feel 


GALLOPING.  143 

the  keenness  of  this  as  well  as  "  children  of  a  larger 
growth;"  th{/  will  therefore  be  careful  how  they  fall  into 
this  ill  habit. 

CANTERING, 
Thougb  by  some  writers  called  a  species  of  gallop,  should 
be  in  reality  treated  of  as  a  distinct  pace,  inasmuch  as  the 
horse  has  always  in  canter  three  feet  off  the  ground,  whereas 
in  galloping  he  has  all  four  off  simultaneously.  It  is  the 
most  difficult  of  all  paces.  In  order  to  direct  the  animal 
into  a  canter,  let  both  legs  be  with  the  hips  slightly  inflected, 
BO  as  to  press,  by  bending  forward  the  thigh  on  the  leading 
Bide,  with  the  leg  of  the  opposite  side  on  the  croup.  Raise 
the  hand  simultaneously  somewhat  above  the  level  of  the 
elbow,  and  the  horse  will  instinctively  bring  himself  well 
on  his  haunches,  and  will  then  fall  into  the  canter.  But 
you  must  not  suffer  it  to  lapse  into  a  trot,  and  to  prevent 
that,  should  he  seem  so  inclined,  keep  the  hand  firmer. 
Once  in  a  canter,  shorten  the  inner  rein  more  than  the 
other,  so  that  the  pace  may  be  retained.  To  turn  when 
cantering,  urge  the  horse  with  the  leading  rein,  press  the 
haunches  forward  and  under,  and  aid  by  the  pressure  of  th* 
calf  of  the  outward  leg  and  with  the  outward  rein. 

GALLOPING. 
In  this  pace  the  four  legs  of  the  horse  are  lifted  off  the 
ground  'at  once,  and  the  pace  is  consequently  far  swifter. 


144  BIDING. 

The  voice  of  the  rider,  and  a  tightened  lein,  will  soon  urge 
the  animal  into  a  trot.  To  gallop  to  the  left,  lead  with  the 
near  fore-leg;  to  gallop  to  the  right,  lead  with  the  right 
fore-leg,  the  hind  legs  of  each  side  following  its  fore-leg. 
To  change  the  leading  leg,  bring  the  opposite  hip  foremost, 
and  reverse  the  reins;  the  horse  will  then  shift  the  lead 
with  the  opposite  leg  without  any  stop.  To  halt,  either 
when  galloping  or  cantering,  should  not  be  attempted  too 
suddenly  or  violently,  unless  you  can  depend  upon  your 
horse.  The  double  stop  is  always  best ;  as  it  is  more  com- 
pletely effectual.  This  is  done  by  inclining  the  body 
gently  backward;  this  causes  the  animal  to  decrease  his 
speed,  and  if  the  body  is  retained  in  that  position,  he  obeys 
the  stops  at  the  next  ^^  cadence."  The  reins  are  always 
shortened  in  these  stops,  as  we  have  already  mentioned 
more  than  once. 

LEAPING. 

This,  the  most  difficult  of  all  feats  in  equestrianism, 
requires  only  confidence,  a  perfect  balance,  and  adaptability 
to  the  horse's  slightest  motion.  Leaping  at  the  bar,  as 
practised  in  the  riding  school,  will  be  found  of  great  utility, 
inainr.uch  as  it  imparts  experience  enough  to  the  horseman 
to  be  of  service  to  the  horse  by  assisting  him  in  his  leap. 
Keep  the  aj>imal  well  in  hand,  and  ride  him  to  the  leap 
deliberately,  using  the  voice  also  as  a  means  of  encouraging 


RULES    AND    DIRHCTIONS.  145 

him  still  more,  and  your  steed  will  measure  the  distance, 
and  effect  the  leap  alone.  A  free  bridle  rein  and  hand, 
and  a  firm,  flexible  seat,  are  the  rider's  chief  requisites ; 
and  the  hand  should  be  kept  low  and  in  the  centre,  with 
the  elbows  pressing  the  side.  As  the  horse  rises  to  the 
leap  the  body  will  naturally  assume  a  forward  position, 
when  he  descends  it  is  thrown  backward.  From  this  it 
will  be  perceived  the  rider's  body  is  in  all  cases  (let  the 
horse  proceed  at  what  pace  he  will)  perpendicular  from  the 
earth,  add  this  is  the  grand  secret  of  equitation,  and  all  the 
voluminous  rules  of  the  nUnage  resolve  themselves  into  it. 
The  safety  in  the  saddle  depends  on  this  upright  position  • 
and  remember  always  to  give  the  horse  a  sufficiently  free 
use  of  his  head  as  not  to  lose  your  command  and  restraint 
over  him.  A  hedge  is  the  best  and  least  dangerous  leap 
for  practice. 

KEMEMBER, 

1.  Should  you  wish  to  turn  your  horse  to  the  right,  pull 
the  right  rein,  and,  vice  verscL,  if  you  wish  to  proceed  to  the 
left;  only  move  the  animal's  head  just  sufficiently  to  see 
his  eye.  This,  of  course,  applies  equally  to  cases  where 
you  have  double  reins.  There  are  several  species  of  rein- 
holds  in  use,  each  of  which  is  said  to  possess  its  exclusive 
advantage;  some  of  our  readers  will  prefer  one  kind,  sobm 
another. 
10 


146  RIBING. 

2.  To  shift  or  change  the  bridoon,  substitute  the  fore 
finger  of  one  hand  for  the  little  finger  of  the  other. 

3.  To  shorten  reins,  let  the  left  hand  retain  its  position, 
though  the  fingers  should  be  a  little  loosened ;  and  after 
taking  the  slack  reins  in  your  right  hand,  draw  them  all 
equally  and  evenly,  until  they  are  of  the  requisite  length ; 
then  take  between  the  fore  finger  and  thumb  the  loose  reins, 
and  draw  them  tight  with  the  left  hand. 

4.  Never  pull  the  reins  with  force,  or  "  tug"  them  has- 
tily ;  a  light  hand  is  the  true  method  of  teaching  the  horse 
his  duty. 

5.  The  horse  is  what  is  termed  "collected,"  when  he 
obeys  your  will  readily,  and  you  '^feeV  his  mouth  just  suf- 
ficiently to  ensure  obedience. 

6.  A  heavy  hand  generally  ruins  a  horse's  mouth. 

7.  A  careless  one  frequently  risks  the  neck  or  life  of  the 
rider. 

8.  To  turn  to  the  right,  shorten  the  right  hand  upwards. 

9.  To  turn  to  the  left,  shorten  the  left  rein. 
10.,  To  make  the  horse  stop,  shorten  both  reins. 

11.  To  urge  him  backwards,  pull  the  reins  (shortened) 
till  he  has  receded  as  far  as  you  require. 

12.  Keep  the  horse's  head  straight;  he  should  always 
look  before  him. 

13.  And  the  knuckles  should  be  kept  towards  the  ani« 


RULES    AND    DIEECTIONS.  147 

mal's  neck,  the  finger-nails  opposite  the  rider's  chest,  the 
heel  firmly  pressed  down,  and  the  toes  turned  in. 

14.  The  body  should  be  carried  with  ease.  As  we  have 
said  before,  the  rider  should  mainly  depend,  for  an  easy  and 
secure  seat,  on  the  perfect  equilibrium  of  the  body,  rather 
than  upon  the  support  of  reins  or  stirrups,  and  the  clasp 
of  the-  thigh  and  leg. 

15.  Our  young  readers  need  scarcely  be  informed  of  the 
common  terms  used  on  the  road,  "  near"  and  "  off,"  as 
applied  to  the  side  of  the  horse.  They  will  recollect  we 
have  told  them,  that  the  rider  on  mounting  stands  on  the 
left  side  of  the  animal ;  it  is  therefore  that  the  nearest  side 
of  the  steed  (or  the  left  side)  is  called  the  "  near  side,"  and 
by  the  term  "  ofi"  side"  is  known  the  right  side,  or  that  which 
is  farthest  off  from  the  rider. 

16.  The  near  side  of  the  road  should  be  kept  on  all 
occasions.  Our  young  readers  will  do  well  to  remember 
this. 

17.  But  if  you  desire  to  pass  any  vehicle  or  horse  that  is 
proceeding  at  a  slower  pace  than  you,  you  may  pass  on  the 
right  side,  but  remember  to  cross  over  directly  afterwards 
to  your  proper  side  of  the  road. 

18.  Be  watchful  over  the  horse's  every  motion.  On  this 
depends  the  security  of  your  seat,  if  the  animal  becomes 
restive,  or  attempts  to  rear,  or  falls. 

19.  No  habit  is  more  ludicrous  than  that  of  allowing  tti« 


148  RIDING. 

arms  to  flap  up  and  down,  as  it  beating  a  tattoo  on  the  riba 
with  the  elbows.     Avoid  it. 

20.  Always  keep  the  shoulders  square.  Any  change  of 
position  of  the  hips  should  not  produce  a  corresponding 
motion  of  the  former. 

21.  If  a  horse  is  given  to  stumbling,  rearing,  or  kicking, 
it  is  safest  to  hold  the  reins  with  both  hands,  and  to  keep 
them  more  shortened  than  usually.  In  the  first  mentioned 
of  these  instances,  press  your  legs  well  to  the  animal's  sides, 
as  it  gives  him  confidence  in  his  rider.  This  should  be 
more  particularly  attended  to  when  descending  a  hill.  A 
rearing  horse  demands  your  constant  attention,  and  is  very 
dangerous  to  an  inexperienced  rider.  When  the  animal 
begins. to  rear,  separate  the  reins,  tightening  one  and  slack- 
ening the  other;  he  will  then  be  compelled  to  move  one  of 
his  hind  feet,  which  necessarily  causes  him  to  replace  his 
fore  feet  on  the  ground  again.  Turn  him  round  once  or 
twice  after  this,  using  the  spur  gently.  If,  however,  the 
horse  has  reared  before  you  can  prevent  him  doing  so,  lean 
the  body  well  forward,  and  endeavour  to  press  him  down ; 
then  act  as  before  directed.  If  a  horse  is  addicted  to  kick- 
ing, always  hold  him  with  a  short  bridle;  not  too  much  so, 
however,  or  it  will  prevent  his  progress.  When  he  attempts 
to  kick,  throw  the  body  well  back,  and  keep  his  head 
thoroughly  under  subjection.  Turning  him  round,  with  a 
gentle  use  of  the  spur,  will  in  time  correct  this  fault. 


RULES    AND    DIRECTIONS.  149 

22.  Horses  frequently  become  uneasy  without  any  apparent 
cause.  When  this  is  the  case,  be  careful  that  he  is  galled 
by  neither  bit,  curb,  saddle,  crupper,  nor  head  straps,  as  it 
invariably  arises  from  some  misfit  of  the  harness.  Many 
riders  flog  a  horse  for  this  uneasiness.  To  do  so  is  not  only 
hazardous,  but  cruel. 

23.  A  plunging  steed  only  requires  the  rider's  patience. 
His  efforts  nearly  always  fail  to  burst  his  girths.  You 
must  take  care,  however,  that  he  does  not  jerk  you  forward, 
as  he  gets  his  head  down.  Till  he  is  quiet,  keep  your  legs 
pressed  tightly  to  his  sides. 

24.  A  horse  that  bolts,  only  requires  restraint,  not  by  a 
perpetual  curb,  but  by  checking  him  by  one  or  two  pulls, 
with  both  hands  depressed. 

25.  A  shying  animal  needs  only  a  patient  kindness  and 
attention,  as  it  generally  arises  from  timidity,  and  in  some 
cases  an  imperfect  sight.  Keep  his  head  high  and  straight 
forward,  and  press  him  with  the  leg  on  the  side  toward 
which  he  shies.  EecoUect  that  a  horse  never  rushes  in 
the  direction  of  the  object  which  startles  him ;  and  if  pos- 
sible, encourage  him  to  look  at,  and  proceed  dose  to  it.  In 
some  animals,  however,  this  fault  can  never  be  corrected ; 
but  by  these  means,  many  horses  have  been  perfectly  cured 
of  it. 

26.  If  a  horse  attempts  to  rub  your  leg  against  a  wal^, 


150  HIDING. 

turn  his  head  toward  it,  and  he  will  cease;  if  not,  back 
him. 

27.  Kestiveness  in  horses  needs  firmness,  and,  never  for- 
get it,  patience ;  to  lose  that,  is  to  give  the  animal  the 
advantage.  Except  you  wish  to  turn  the  croup,  it  is  better 
not  to  use  the  spur ;  and  if  your  horse  tries  to  turn  to  the 
left,  do  not  pull  to  the  right,  but  press  him  to  the  left  rather 
more  than  he  desires,  and  then  turn  his  head  in  the  proper 
direction,  and  urge  him  forward.  If  he  stands  stock  still, 
allow  him  to  do  so.  A  minute  or  two  will  tire  him;  and 
always  be  willing  to  make  peace  with  your  horse.  His 
instinct  is  so  great  and  his  spirit  so  high,  that  he  will  quickly 
perceive  and  avail  himself  of  this  willingness. 

28.  A  good*  horseman  can  always  make  his  steed  lead 
with  either  foot ;  and  change  is  frequently  beneficial. 

29.  It  is  better  to  restrain  your  horse  on  starting,  or  he 
will  soon  be  "blown,"  as  the  phrase  goes;  that  is,  be-ou/ 
of  breath,  and  his  gallop  prevented  for  the  day.  In  a  heavy 
country,  never  gallop  him  too  fast,  and  when  proceeding 
over  a  fallow  field,  always  choose  the  hedge  side,  as  the 
ground  is  generally  firmer  there.  Otherwise  the  horse 
becomes  rapidly  exhausted. 

30.  In  the  minage,  several  terms,,  such  as  "  appui," 
*'aid"  ^^  support  "  ^^  correspondence,"  &c.,  areu.sed  to  denote 
the  mutually  good  understanding  between  the  horse  and 
his  rider,  by  means  of  the  bridle.     And  the  animal  is  said 


CONCLUSION.  151 

to  be  "collected,"  "united,"  or  " dis-united ;"  but  these 
significations,  however  useful  they  may  be  in  the  school, 
are  quite  unnecessary  to  be  learned,  to  become  even  a  first- 
rate  horseman. 

IN  CONCLUSION. 

Let  us  impress  upon  our  young  readers,  to  show  concilia- 
tion and  kindness  to  this  intelligent  and  noble  beast.  Any 
one  that  is  cruel  to  an  animal,  can  never  be  admired  for 
his  humanity;  how  much  the  less,  then,  when  he  is  so  to 
a  creature  the  most  useful  to  Man,  and  the  most  tractable 
and  symmetrical  of  all.  Some  riders  pull  at  the  reins  with 
all  their  strength,  inflicting  much  pain  to  the  horse's  mouth, 
and  when  he  backs,  punish  him  with  the  whip,  complain- 
ing that  he  will  not  stand  still.  Is  there  anything  more 
absurd  or  unjust  ?  The  rider  ought  assuredly  to  be  master, 
but  he  can  never  be  so,  unless  he  tempers  firmness  with 
gentleness.  A  good  horse  performs  well,  when  walking 
four  miles  an  hour;  cantering  six  and  a  half;  trotting  eight 
and  a  half;  and  galloping  eleven.  An  animal  out  of  con- 
dition, or  even  of  the  ordinary  kind,  will  not  keep  paces 
like  these. 

A  horse  is  nervously  sensitive  of  pain,  and  ill  usage  will 
often  break  his  spirit  and  temper;  but  a  good  tempered 
animal  will  evince  in  many  ways  his  attachment  to  a  kind 
rider,  and  so  wonderful  is  his  intelligence,  that  he  will 


162  BIDIMO. 

recognise  his  masttr's  voice  and  footsteps,  even  when  heard 
at  a  distance.  Let  our  readers,  then,  who  are  fortunate 
enough  to  possess  a  steed  like  this,  occasionalise  the  old 
saw,  "  Love  me,  love  my  dog,"  and  in  lieu  thereof,  adopt 
as  their  motto, 

"Love  me,  love  017  hone!" 


SLEIGHT  OF  HAND,  MAGIC,  &c. 


The  Magic  Funnel. — ^You  must  have  a  double  funnel,  that 
is,  two  funnels  soldered  one  within  the  other;  the  first  fun- 
nel must  have  no  passage,  so  that  whatever  liquor  is  poured 
into  it  cannot  run  out.  The  second  funnel  must  be  made 
BO,  that  at  the  little  end  you  may  pour  in  a  quantity  of 
liquor.  Having  previously  filled  this  funnel  with  whatever 
kind  of  liquor  you  mean  to  call  for,  stop  the  hole  with 
your  thumb,  which  prevents  it  from  running  out,  and  which 
you  put  there  under  pretence  of  not  losing  the  liquor  you 
call  for,  which  is  poured  into  the  funnel  without  any  hole. 
When  this  is  drunk,  and  the  funnel  turned  downward,  the 
liquor  which  you  had  previously  put  in  cannot  run  out; 
but  when  you  turn  the  funnel  the  other  way,  to  the  great 
astonishment  of  the  company  the  liquor  is  poured  into  a 
glass,  and  should  be  the  exact  quantity  of  what  you  had 
called  for.  You  may  then  drink  the  person'*  health  who 
drank  before,  and  tell  him  it  is  a  cheap  way  of  treating  « 
friend. 

(168) 


154  BLEIGHT    OF    HAND,    MAGIC,    ETC. 

To  make  cold  water  hot  without  the  aid  of  jire. — You  give 
a  pint  of  cold  water  to  one  of  the  company,  and  taking  off 
the  lid  of  the  kettle,  you  request  him  to  put  it  into  it ;  you 
then  put  the  lid  on  the  kettle ;  take  the  pint,  and  the  exact 
quantity  of  water  comes  out  of  the  kettle  boiling  hot. 

The  kettle  has  two  bottoms.  Boiling  water  has  been 
previously  conveyed  into  it  through  the  nose.  There  is  no 
passage  for  the  cold  water,  which  is  put  in  where  the  lid  is 
off  J  consequently,  the  hot  water  can  alone  pour  out. 

This  trick  may  be  varied,  and  for  the  better;  as  the  heat 
of  the  water  may  betray  it,  should  the  bottom  of  the  kettle 
be  full.  You  may  therefore  propose  to  change  water  into 
wine  or  punch. 

A  coffee-pot  may  be  made  on  a  similar  plan;  but  a 
kettle  is  preferable,  it  being  more  likely  from  its  size  and 
breadth,  to  baffle  the  examination  of  the  curious. 

This  trick  may  also  be  improved  by  an  additional  expense, 
so  that  whatever  liquid  is  on  either  bottom  may  be  poured 
out  occasionally.  For  this  purpose  there  must  be  a  double 
passage  to  the  nose  of  the  kettle,  and  secret  springs  to  stop 
either  passage. 

To  lock  a  padlock  on  your  cheek. — You  show  a  padlock 
to  the  company,  which,  when  sufficiently  examined,  to  their 
great  astonishment,  you  fasten  on  your  cheek,  nor  can  it  be 
taken  off,  until  the  padlock  is  unlocked. 

The  padlock  for  this,  purpose  has  a  bow  with  a  diviBion 


SLEIGHT    OP    HAND,    MAGIC,    ETC.  155 

which  admits  the  cheek,  so  contrived  that  when  locked  it 
may  neither  pinch  too  hard,  nor  yet  hold  so  slightly  as  to 
be  drawn  oflf.  There  should  be  a  variety  of  notches  on  it, 
that  the  place  of  the  division  may  not  be  noticed. 

To  put  a  ring  throngh  your  cheek. — This  trick  is  per- 
formed upon  the  same  principle  as  the  preceding  one.  You 
must  have  two  rings  exactly  similar,  one  of  which  has  a 
notch  which  admits  your  cheek.  When  you  have  shown 
the  perfect  ring  to  the  company,  you  change  it  for  the 
other,  and  privately  slip  the  notch  over  one  side  of  your 
tuouth ;  in  the  mean  time  you  slip  the  whole  ring  on  your 
stick,  hiding  it  with  your  hand ;  then  bid  some  one  hold 
the  end  of  the  stick,  whip  the  ring  out  of  your  cheek,  and 
smite  with  it  instantly  upon  the  stick,  concealing  it  and 
whirling  the  other  ring  you  hold  your  hand  over,  round 
about  the  stick. 

To  make  iron  swim. — Having  placed  a  pail  of  water 
before  the  company,  you  cast  in  a  piece  of  iron  or  steel,  and 
say,  ''  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  you  now  behold  this  sinks  to 
the  bottom,  but  you  shall  soon  see  it  swim  on  the  surface." 
Attention  being  thus  obtained,  you  wave  your  hand  over 
the  pail  of  water,  and  the  steel  immediately  ascends  to  the 
top.  The  top  of  the  rod  which  you  wave  over  the  water, 
must  be  iron  touched  by  the  loadstone,  by  the  attraction 
of  which  the  steel  will  ascend  in  the  water. 

To  make  a  lighted  candle  hum  under  water. — ^Take  a 


156  SLEIGHT    OP    HAND,     MAGIC,    ETC 

glass,  and  fastening  a  small  bit  of  wood  across  the  moutli, 
stick  thereon  a  piece  of  candle  lighted ;  and  with  a  steady 
band,  convey  the  glass  to  the  surface  of  the  water;  then 
push  it  carefully  down,  and  you  may  see  the  candle  burn 
under  the  water,  and  you  may  bring  it  up  again  alight. 

In  the  same  manner  you  may  put  a  handkerchief  rolled 
tightly  together,  and  it  will  not  be  wet.     . 

The  principal  art  in  performing  this  trick,  consists  in  the 
nicety  of  bringing  the  mouth  of  the  glass  exactly  level  with 
the  surface  of  the  water ;  for  if  you  put  it  the  least  on  one 
side,  the  water  will  rush  in,  and  consequently  put  out  the 
candle,  or,  in  the  other  case,  wet  the  handkerchief;  so  that 
a  nice  eye  and  steady  hand  are  necessarily  requisite  for  this 
performance. 

This  trick,  simple  as  it  is,  may  serve  in  some  degree  to 
elucidate  that  contrivance  called  the  diving-bell ;  as  it  is 
certainly  done  upon  the  same  principle. 

The  Turks  and  Christians. — You  tell  the  company  the 
following  story.  An  English  captain,  whose  crew  consisted 
of  thirty  men,  half  Christians  and  half  Turks,  was  wrecked, 
and  for  the  preservation  of  some  of  their  lives  it  was  deemed 
expedient  that  half  of  the  crew  should  be  thrown  overboard, 
or  all  must  inevitably  perish.  The  captain  therefore  pro- 
posed that  every  man  should  come  upon  deck,  and  that 
every  ninth  person  should  become  the  victim.  The  crew 
obeyed  the  summons,  and  the  captain  placed  them  in  such 


SLEIGHT    OF    HAND,    MAGIC,    ETC.  167 

an  order,  though  with  apparent  impartiality,  that  every 
ninth  man  was  a  Turk,  and  all  the  Christians  were  pre- 
served. You  then  take  15  red  cards  for  the  Christians, 
and  15  black  cards  for  the  Turks,  and  you  place  them  in 
such  an  order  on  the  table,  that  every  ninth  card  is  black, 
which  you  take  away  as  you  reckon,  till  only  the  15  red 
cards  remain. 

This  ingenious  trick,  which  is  scarcely  known,  can  be 
performed  by  the  fourteen  vowels  in  the  following  couplet : 

•'  From  numbers,  aid,  and  art, 
Never  will  fame  depart." 

You  must  begin  with  the  Christians  (red  cards)  0  being 
the  fourth  vowel  in  from,  put  down  four  red  cards ;  U  five 
black  ones ;  E  two  red ;  A  one  black ;  I  three  red ;  A  one 
black ;  A  one  red ;  E  two  black ;  E  two  red ;  I  three  black ; 
A  one  red  j  E  two  black ;  E  two  red ;  A  one  black.  You 
may  make  three  or  foijr  lines  of  the  cards,  which  will  make 
it  appear  more  strange.  Be  sure  to  take  away  every  ninth 
card,  saying  "  Overboard  with  that  Turk,"  and  all  the  red 
cards  will  remain. 

Light  produced  hy  Sugar. — If  two  pieces  of  loaf-sugar 
(about  a  pound  each)  are  struck  against  each  other  in  the 
dark,  a  light-blue  flame,  like  lightning,  will  be  elicited.  The 
eame  efiect  takes  place  when  a  loaf  of  sugar  is  struck  with 
an  iron  instrument. 

To  give  a  ghastly  Appearance  to  Persons  in  a  Jioom.-^ 


158  SLEIGHT    or    HAND,    MAGIC,    ETC. 

Dissolve  salt  in  an  infusion  of  saffron  and  spirits  of  wiue. 
pip  some  tow  in  this  solution,  and  having  set  fire  to  it, 
extinguish  all  the  other  lights  in  the  room. 

To  change  Blue  to  White. — Dissolve  copper  filings  in  a 
phial  of  volatile  alkali :  when  the  vial  is  unstopped,  the 
liquor  will  be  blue ;  when  stopped,  it  will  be  white. 

To  break  a  Stick,  placed  on  two  Glasses,  without  breaJe- 
ing  the  Glasses. — The  stick,  intended  to  be  broken,  must 
neither  be  thick,  nor  rest  with  any  great  hold  on  the  two 
glasses.  Both  its  extremities  must  taper  to  a  point,  and 
should  be  of  as  uniform  a  size  as  possible,  in  order  that  the 
centre  of  gravity  may  be  more  easily  known.  The  stick 
must  be  placed  resting  on  the  edges  of  the  glasses,  which 
ought  to  be  perfectly  level,  that  the  stick  may  remain  hori- 
zontal, and  not  inclined  to  one  side  more  than  another. 
Care  also  must  be  taken  that  the  points  only  shall  rest 
lightly  on  the  edge  of  each  glass.  If  a  speedy  and  smart 
blow,  but  proportioned,  as  far  as  can  be  judged,  to  the  size 
of  the  stick,  and  the  distance  of  the  glasses,  be  then  given 
to  it  in  the  middle,  it  will  break  in  two,  without  either  of 
the  glasses  being  injured. 

To  dlversi/i/  the  Colours  of  Flowers. — Fill  a  vessel  of 
what  size  or  shape  you  please,  with  good  rich  earth,  which 
has  been  dried  and  sifted  in  the  sun,  then  plant  in  the  same 
a  slip  or  branch  of  a  plant  bearing  a  white  flower  (for  such 
only  can  oe  tinged),  and  use  no  other  water  to  water  it  with, 


SLEIGHT    OP    HAND,    MAGIC,    ETC.  159 

but  such  as  is  tinged  with  red,  if  you  desire  red  flowers ; 
with  blue,  if  blue  flowers,  &c.  With  this  coloured  water, 
water  the  plant  twice  a  day,  morning  and  evening,  and 
remove  it  into  the  house  at  night,  so  that  it  drink  not  of 
the  morning  or  evening  dew  for  three  weeks.  You  will  then 
experience,  that  it  will  produce  flowers,  not  altogether 
tinctured  with  that  colour  wherewith  you  watered  it,  but 
partly  with  that,  and  partly  with  the  natural. 

The  Learned  Swan. — Have  a  large  marble  or  china  bowl, 
painted  inside  the  rim  with  the  letters  of  the  alphabet ;  a 
email  swan,  in  which  is  concealed  a  steel  or  iron  pin,  is  set 
to  swim  in  the  bowl,  and  on  being  desired,  will  select  any 
letters,  say  those  which  compose  your  name — to  effect  this, 
the  performer  of  the  trick  must  have  a  magnet  in  his  pocket, 
by  means  of  which,  as  he  moves  round  the  table,  the  swan 
will  be. attracted  to  every  letter  at  which  it  is  required 
to  stop. 

Singular  Experiment. — Fix  at  the  height  of  the  eye,  ou 
a  dark  ground,  a  small  round  piece  of  white  paper,  and  a 
little  lower,  at  the  distance  of  about  two  feet  to  the  right, 
fix  up  another,  of  about  three  inches  in  diameter;  then 
olace  yourself  opposite  to  the  first  piece  of  paper,  and, 
having  shut  the  left  eye,  retire  backwards,  keeping  your 
eye  still  fixed  on  the  first  object;  when  you  are  at  the 
diutance  of  nine  or  ten  feet,  the  second  will  entirel/  disap* 
p«ar  from  your  sight. 


160  BLEIGHT    or    HAND,     MAGIC,    ETC. 

Singular  Effect  on  the  Visual  Organs. — Affix  to  a  dark 
wall  a  round  piece  of  paper,  an  inch  or  two  in  diameter ; 
and  a  little  lower,  at  the  distance  of  two  feet  on  each  side, 
make  two  marks ;  then  place  yourself  directly  opposite  to 
the  paper,  and  hold  the  end  of  your  finger  before  your  face 
in  such  a  manner,  that  when  the  right  eye  is  open,  it  shall 
conceal  the  mark  on  the  left;  and  when  the  left  eye  is 
open,  the  mark  on  the  right ;  if  you  then  look  with  both 
eyes  to  the  end  of  your  finger,  the  paper,  which  is  not  at  all 
concealed  by  it  from  either  of  your  eyes,  will  nevertheless 
disappear. 

The  Thaumatrope — an  amusing  Toy. — The  optical  prin- 
ciple on  which  this  machine  is  constructed,  is  the  duration 
of  an  impression  on  the  eye,  after  the  object  producing  it 
has  been  withdrawn,  and  which  is  said  to  last  about  a 
second. 

The  cards  are  each  suspended  by  a  bobbin  at  either  side. 
There  is  a  part  of  a  figure  or  object  represented  on  one  side 
of  the  card,  and  the  remainder  on  the  other.  For  example : 
we  have  the  head  of  a  watchman  on  the  obverse  of  one, 
and  the  empty  watch-box  on  the  reverse ;  by  twirling  the 
bobbins,  and  consequently  spinning  the  card,  the  head  and 
box  fit  together,  and  we  see  a  complete  guardian  of  th« 
night. 

Then  there  are  some  choice  jeux  d' esprit.  There  is  on 
the  observe  of  one  card  a  thing  like  a  well-worn  bundle  cf 


SLEIGHT    OF    HAND,    MAGIC,    ETC.  161 

lurch,  out  by  twirling  the  bobbins  we  produce  a  shower  of 
fresh  iv'aves,  and  these  leaves  falling  upon  that  bundle  pro- 
rluce  the  striking  likeness  of  a  tree. 

Water  in  a  Sling. — Half  fill  a  mug  with  water,  place  it 
in  i*  sling,  and  you  may  whirl  it  around  you  without  spill- 
ing >*  drop ;  for  the  water  tends  more  away  from  the  centre 
of  i/iotion  towards  the  bottom  of  the  mug,  than  towards  the 
earlh  by  gravity. 

T  he  Animated  Sixpence. — If  you  pierce  a  very  small  hole 
in  the  rim  of  a  sispencc,  and  pass  a  long  black  horse  hair 
through  it,  you  may  make  it  jump  about  mysteriously,  and 
even  out  of  a  jug.  It  is  necessary,  however,  to  perform 
this  trick  only  at  night  time ;  and  to  favour  the  deception 
as  much  as  possible,  a  candle  should  be  between  the  spec« 
tator  and  yourself. 

The  Travelling  Egg. — Procure  a  goose's  egg,  and  after 
opening  and  cleaning  it,  put  a  bat  into  the  shell,  and  then 
glue  a  piece  of  white  paper  fast  over  the  aperture.  The 
motions  of  the  poor  little  prisoner  in  struggling  to  get  free, 
will  cause  the  egg  to  roll  about  in  a  manner  that  will  excite 
much  astonishment. 

The  Balanced  Egg. — Lay  a  looking-glass  face  upward, 
on  a  perfectly  even  table ;  then  shake  a  fresh  egg,  so  as  to 
mix  up  and  incorporate  the  yolk  and  the  white  thoroughly  : 
with  care  and  steadiness  you  may  then  balance  the  egg  on 
its  point,  and  make  it  stand  upright  on  the  glass,  which  it 
11 


162  SLEIGHT    OF    HAND,    MAGIC,    ETO 

will  be  impossible  to  achieve  when  the  egg  is  in  its  natxmu 
state. 

To  Melt  Lead  in  a  Piece  of  Paper. — Wrap  a  piece  of 
paper  very  neatly  round  a  bullet,  so  that  it  be  everywhere 
in  contact  with  the  lead ;  hold  it  over  the  flame  of  a  candle, 
and  the  lead  will  be  melted  without  the  paper  being  burnt ; 
but  when  once  fused,  the  lead  will  in  a  short  time  pierce  a 
hole  in  the  paper,  and  drop  through  it. 

The  Dancing  Pea. — Take  a  piece  of  a  tobacco-pipe  of 
about  three  inches  in  length,  one  end  of  which,  at  least,  va 
broken  off  even ;  and  with  a  knife  or  file  make  the  hole 
somewhat  larger,  so  as  in  fact  to  form  a  little  hollow  cup. 
Next,  get  a  very  round  pea,  put  it  in  the  hollow  at  the  end 
of  the  bit  of  pipe,  place  the  other  end  of  the  latter  in  your 
mouth,  hold  it  there  quite  in  a  perpendicular  position,  by 
inclining  your  head  back,  and  then  blow  through  it  very 
softly ;  the  pea  will  be  lifted  from  its  cup,  and  rise  and  fall 
according  to  the  degree  of  force  with  which  the  breath  is 
impelled  through  the  pipe. 

The  Bottle  Imps. — Procure  from  a  glass-blower's  three  or 
four  little  hollow  figures  of  glass,  about  an  inch  and  a  half 
in  height,  and  let  there  be  a  small  hole  in  the  legs  of  each 
of  them.  Immerse  them  in  a  glass  jar,  about  a  foot  in 
height,  nearly  full  of  water,  and  then  tie  a  bladder  fast  over 
the  mouth.  When  you  wish  the  figures  to  go  down,  press 
your  hand  c^psely  on  the  bladder,  and  they  will  instantly 


SLEIGHT    OF    HAND,     MAGIC,    ETC.  166 

sink ;  and  the  moment  you  take  your  hand  off,  they  will 
rise  to  the  surface  of  the  water. 

To  take  a  Shilling  out  of  a  Handkerchief. — For  this  trick 
you  must  procure  a  curtain  ring  of  exactly  the  size  of  a 
shilling.  At  first,  put  the  shilling  into  the  handkerchief; 
but  when  you  take  it  out  to  show  that  there  is  no  decep- 
tion, slip  the  ring  in  its  stead,  and  while  the  person  is 
eagerly  holding  the  handkerchief,  and  the  company's  eyea 
are  fixed  upon  the  form  of  the  shilling,  seize  the  opportunity 
of  putting  it  away  secretly.  When  the  handkerchief  is  re- 
turned to  you  again,  cautiously  withdraw  the  curtain-ring, 
and  show  the  shilling. 

A  Good  Catch. — The  following  is  a  good  catch :  Lay  a 
wager  with  a  person  that  to  three  observations  you  will  "put 
to  him,  he  will  not  reply  "  a  bottle  of  wine."  Then  begin 
with  some  common-place  remark,  such  as,  "  We  have  had  a 
fine,  or  wet  day  to-day,"  as  it  may  be;  he  will  answer,  of 
course,  "a  bottle  of  wine."  You  then  make  another  re- 
mark of  the  same  kind,  as,  "  I  hope  we  shall  have  as  fine 
or  finer  to-morrow,"  to  which  he  will  reply,  as  before,  "  a 
bottle  of  wine."  You  must  then  catch  him  very  sharply, 
and  say,  "Ah!  there,  sir!  you've  lost  your  wager;"  and 
the  probability  is,  if  he  be  not  aware  of  the  trick,  he  will 
Bay  "Why,  how  can  you  make  that  out?"  or  something 
gimilar,  forgetting  that,  though  a  strange  one,  it  is  the  third 
observation  you  have  made.  ^^- 


VSi  BLEIGHT    OP    HAND,    MAaiC,    ETC. 

The  Juggler^ s  Joke. — Take  a  little  ball  in  each  hand,  and 
Btretch  your  hands  as  far  apart  as  you  possibly  can,  one  from 
the  other ;  then  t<;ll  the  company  that  you  will  make  both 
the  balls  come  into  whichever  hand  they  please,  without 
bringing  the  hands  into  contact  with  each  other.  If  any 
of  the  lookers-on  challenge  your  ability  of  achieving  this 
feat,  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  lay  one  of  the  balls  down  upon 
a  table,  turn  yourself  round,  and  take  it  up  with  your  other 
hand.  Both  the  balls  will  thus  be  in  one  of  your  hands, 
without  the  latter  approaching  the  other,  agreeably  to  your 
promise. 

The  Three  Spoons. — This  is  a  most  capital  trick,  but  it 
requires  a  confederate's  aid.  Place  three  silver  spoons  cross- 
wise on  a  table,  request  any  person  to  touch  one,  and  as- 
sure him  you  will  find  out  the  one  he  touches  by  a  single 
inspection ;  although  you  will  leave  the  room  while  he  does 
BO,  and  even  if  he  touches  it  so  gently  as  not  to  disarrange 
the  order  in  which  they  are  once  put  in  the  slightest  degree. 
You  retire ;  and  when  he  gives  you  notice  to  enter,  walk  up 
to  the  table  and  inspect  the  spoons,  as  if  trying  to  ascertain 
whether  there  are  any  finger  marks  upon  them,  and  then 
decide.  Your  confederate,  of  course,  makes  some  sign,  pre- 
viously agreed  upon,  to  give  you  notice  which  is  the  iden- 
tical spoon ;  the  actions  may  be,  touching  a  button  of  bis 
jacket  for  the  top  spoon,  touching  his  chin  for  the  second, 
*nd  putting  his  finger  to  his  lips  may  signify  the  lowest; 


SLEIGHT    OF    HAND,    MAaiO,    ETC.  165 

but  the  precise  actions  are  immaterial,  so  that  the  spoon 
they  indicate  be  understood. 

Loud  Whisper. — Apartments  of  a  circular  or  elliptical 
form  are  best  calculated  for  the  exhibition  of  this  phenome* 
non.  If  a  person  stand  near  the  wall,  with  his  face  turned 
to  it,  and  whisper  a  few  words,  they  may  be  more  distinctly 
heard  at  nearly  the  opposite  side  of  the  apartment,  than  if 
the  listener  were  situated  nearer  to  the  speaker. 


ENIGMAS,  RIDDLES,  &c. 


The  ancients  believed  that  the  monster  Sphynx  was  the 
inventor  of  riddles.  The  one  she  proposed  for  solution  wag 
this  : — "  What  animal  is  that  which  goes  upon  four  legs  in 
the  morning, — upon  two  at  noon, — and  upon  three  at 
night  ?"  Many  persons  strove  to  explain  it,  but  failed,  and 
were  torn  to- pieces  by  her;  at  length,  ffidipus,  the  son  of 
Laius,  king  of  Thebes,  solved  it,  by  saying  that  the  animal 
was  a  man,  who,  in  the  infancy  or  morning  of  his  life,  creeps 
upon  his  hands  and  feet,  and  so  goes  on  all-fours;  in  the 
roon  of  his  life,  walks  on  two  feet;  and  in  the  waning 
evening  and  night  of  old  age,  requires  a  stick,  and  so  tottera 
vpon  three  legs.  The  Sphynx,  enraged  at  the  discovery 
of  her  riddle,  threw  herself  from  a  rock  and  died. 

Such  is  the  fabled  history  of  the  first  riddle ;  the  (rue  is 
tot  known,  as  riddles  are  of  remote  antiquity ;  but  we  find 
from  Plutarch,  that,  in  his  days,  the  Greek  girls  often 
•mused  themselves  with  proposing  riddles  for  their  compa- 
nions to  unravel.     For  a  party  of  merry  roysterers  clus- 

(166) 


ENIGMAS.  167 

tered  round  a  cheerful  fire,  no  amusement  is  better  calculated 
than  a  batch  of  enigmas  and  riddles;  as  they  possess  enough 
point  to  rivet  the  attention  of  all  to  their  probable  mfianing, 
and  sufficient  humour  to  provoke  many  a  hearty  laugh. 

ENIGMAS.  . 

1.  'Twas  whispered  in  heaven,  'twas  muttered  in  hell, 
And  echo  caught  faintly  the  sound  as  it  fell ; 
On  the  confines  of  earth  'twas  permitted  to  rest, 
And  the  depths  of  the  ocean  its  presence  confess'd ; 
'Twill  be  found  in  the  sphere,  when  'tis  riven  asunder  • 
'Tis  seen  in  the  lightning,  and  heard  in  the  thunder : 
'Twas  allotted  to  man  with  his  earliest  breath. 
It  assists  at  his  birth,  and  attends  him  in  death ; 
Presides  o'er  his  happiness,  honour,  and  health, 
Is  the  prop  of  his  house,  and  the  end  of  his  wealth. 
In  the  heap  of  the  miser  'tis  hoarded  with  care, 
But  is  sure  to  be  lost  in  his  prodigal  heir. 
It  begins  every  hope, — every  wish  it  must  bound ; 
It  prays  with  the  hermit,  with  monarchs  is  crowned. 
Without  it  the  soldier  and  seaman  may  roam, 
But  woe  to  the  wretch  that  expels  it  from  home ; 
In  the  whispers  of  conscience  'tis  sure  to  be  found, 
Nor  e'en  in  the  whirlwind  of  passion  is  drown'd; 
'Twill  soften  the  heart, — though  deaf  to  the  ear, 
'Twill  make  it  acutely  and  instantly  hear; 


liH  INIGMAS,    RIDDLER,    ETC. 

But  in  short  let  it  rest ;  like  a  beautiful  flower, 
(Oh  breathe  on  it  softly),  it  dies  in  an  hour. 

2.    A  word  of  one  syllable,  easy  and  short, 

Which  reads  backwards  and  forwards  the  same ; 
It  expresses  the  sentiments  warm  from  the  heart, 
And  to  beauty  lays  principal  claim. 

8.  A  word  there  is,  five  syllables  contains, 

Take  one  away,  no  syllable  remains. 

4.  Placed  of  trust  I  oft  obtain. 

And  protect  the  house  from  vermin  ; 
I  act  as  shepherd  on  the  plain, 

And  at  fairs  I'm  shown  for  learning : 
In  northern  climes,  a  horse  I'm  seen, 
And  a  roasting  jack  I  too  have  been ; 
Strange  as  it  seems,  it's  no  less  true. 
That  I  eat  on  four  legs,  and  beg  on  two. 

5.  Soon  as  I'm  made  I'm  sought  with  caro  j 

For  one  whole  year  consulted ; 
That  time  elapsed,  I'm  thrown  aside, 
Neglected,  and  insulted. 

6.  The  beginning  of  eternity. 

The  end  of  time  and  space ; 
The  beginning  of  every  end. 
And  end  of  every  place. 


ENIGMAS.  109 

7.  A  man  once  launched  a  vessel  large, 
And  live  stock,  too,  he  took  in  charge; 
He  did  not  barter,  buy,  nor  sell : 
Whichever  wind  blew,  pleased  as  well ; 

He  sailed  at  random,  was  to  no  port  bound, 
His  only  wish  was  soon  to  run  aground. 

8.  I'm  slain  to  be  saved,  with  much  ado  and  pain; 
Scatter'd,  dispersed,  and  gathered  up  again, 
Wither'd,  though  young;  sweet,  yet  unperfumed, 
And  carefully  laid  up  to  be  consumed. 

9.  What  pleases  in  the  air,  and  what  a  horse  does  not 
like,  gives  the  name  of  a  flower. 

10.  Half  a  carman,  and  a  whole  country,  will  form  the 
name  of  a  beautiful  flower. 

11.  What  is  the  longest  and  yet  the  shortest  thing  in  the 
world, — the  swiftest  and  yet  the  slowest, — :the  most  divisible 
and  the  most  extended, — the  least  valued  and  most  regret- 
ted,— without  which  nothing  can  be  done, — which  devours 
everything,  however  small,  and  yet  gives  life  and  spirits  to 
every  object,  however  great  ? 

12.  What  is  that  we  receive  without  being  thankful  for 
—which  we  enjoy  without  knowing  how  we  received  it, — 
which  we  give  away  to  others  without  knowing  where  it  is 
to  be  found, — and  which  we  lose  without  being  conscicu"! 
of  our  loss  ? 


IW^  ENIGMAS,    RIDDLES,    ETC. 

18.  There  is  a  thing  was  three  weeks  old. 

When  Adam  was  no  more; 
This  thing  it  was  but  four  weeks  old 
When  Adam  was  fourscore. 

14.  I'm  found  in  loss  but  not  in  gain, 

If  you  search  there,  'twill  be  in  vain ; 
I'm  found  in  hour,  but  not  in  day  : 
What  I  am,  perhaps,  you  now  can  say. 

CHARADES. 

1.  Ever  eating,  never  cloying. 

All  devouring,  all  destroying, 
Never  finding  full  repast, 
'Till  I  eat  the  world  at  last. 

2    My  first  is  four-sixths  of  a  step  that  is  long, 
My  second's  a  person  of  state ; 
My  whole  is  a  thing  that  is  known  to  be  wrong, 
And  is  a  strong  symptom  of  hate. 

3.  Without  ray  first  you  cannot  stand. 
My  second,  beauteous  fair  command ; 
Together  I  attend  your  will. 

And  am  your  humble  servant  still. 

4.  My  first  gave  us  early  support, 

My  next  is  a  virtuous  lass ; 


CHARADES.  171 

To  the  fields,  if  at  eve  you  resort, 
My  whole  you  will  probably  pass. 

6.  In  every  hedge  my  second  is, 

As  well  as  every  tree ; 
And  when  poor  school-boys  act  amiss, 

It  often  is  their  fee. 
My  first,  likewise,  is  always  wicked, 

Yet  ne'er  committed  sin  : 
My  total  for  my  first  is  fitted, 

Composed  of  brass  or  tin. 

6.  My  first's  a  prop,  my  second's  a  prop,  and  my  whole'a 
*  prop. 

7.  What  a  running  stream  does,  and  the  first  syllable  of 
error,  gives  a  production  of  nature. 

8.  My  first,  if  you  do,  you  won't  hit ; 
My  next,  if  you  do  you  will  have  it ; 
My  whole,  if  you  do,  you  won't  guess  it, 

9.  My  whole  is  under  my  second  and  surrounds  my  first. 

10.  My  first  I  hope  you  are,  my  second  I  see  you  are, 
and  my  whole  I  am  sure  you  are. 

11.  My  first  is  the  cause  of  my  second,  and  my  whole  is 
.  made  sacred  by  God. 


ITS  ENIQMAS,    niDDLES,    ETC. 

CONUNDRUMS. 

1.  Why  is  an  undutiful  son  like  one  bom  deaf? 

2.  Why  are  the  pages  of  a  book  like  the  days  of  man  ? 

3.  Why  is  a  king  like  a  book  ? 

4.  Why  is  the  leaf  of  a  tree  like  the  human  body  ? 

5.  What  is  that  which  is  lengthened  by  being  cut  at  both 
ends? 

6.  When  is  small  beer  not  small  beer  ? 

7.  When  is  an  alderman  like  a  ghost  ? 

8.  What  animal  was  in  existence  before  the  creation  ? 

9.  What  is  that  which  the  dead  and  living  do  at  the  same 
time? 

10.  Where  did  the  witch  of  Endor  live  ? 

11.  How  many  sides  are  there  to  a  tree  ? 

12.  What  is  that  which  every  living  man  hath  seen, 
But  never  more  will  see  again,  I  ween  ? 

13.  Why  was  Noah  in  the  ark  like  a  disappointed  rat 
catcher  ? 

14.  Why  are  three  couples  going  to  church  like  a  child's 
penny  trumpet  ? 

15.  Why  is  your  nose  like  St.  Paul's  ? 

16.  When  do  your  teeth  usurp  the  functions  of  the  tongue  ? 

17.  What  street  in  London  puts  you  in  mind  of  a  tooth 
vrhich  has  pained  you  for  a  long  time  ? 

18.  Why  does  an  aching  tooth  impose  silence  on  the  suf> 
ferer? 


CONUNDRUMS.  173 

19.  To  what  town  in  Poland  should  you  go  to  have  it  ex- 
tracted ? 

20.  Which  of  your  teeth  are  like  a  dress-maker's  fingers 
and  thumb,  when  she  is  cutting  out  a  dress  ? 

21.  Why  is  a  pack  of  cards,  of  only  fifty-one  in  the  pack, 
sent  home,  like  a  pack  of  cards  of  fifty-two  ? 

22.  Which  is  the  oldest  tree  in  England? 

23.  Why  is  a  man  in  debt  like  a  misty  morning  ? 

24.  Why  are  feet  like  olden  tales  ? 

25.  Where  was  Adam  going,  when  he  was  in  his  thirty- 
ninth  year  ? 

26.  Why  is  an  image  on  a  pedestal  like  a  hackney-coach 
when  disengaged  ? 

27.  Why  are  fish  in  a  thriving  state  like  fish  made  to 
imitate  them  ? 

28.  Tom  went  out,  his  dog  with  him ;  he  went  not  before, 
behind,  nor  on  one  side  of  him,  then  where  did  he  go  ? 

29.  What  question  is  that  to  which  you  must  answer  yes  ? 

30.  Why  does  a  miller  wear  a  white  hat  ? 

31.  In  what  respect  does  a  bad  governess  differ  from  a 
good  one? 

32.  Why  are  lovers'  sighs  like  long  stockings  ? 

33.  Why  is  a  nail  fast  in  the  wall  like  an  old  man  ? 

34.  Why  is  a  man  standing  on  a  fishmonger's  shop  like 
%  busy  meddling  fellow  ? 

35.  What  is  the  most  difficult  thing  in  the  world  ? 

36.  Why  ar©  some  great  men  like  glow-worms  ? 


174  ENIGMAS,    RIDDLES,    ETC. 

37.  "WTien  is  a  door  not  a  door  ? 

38.  Why  is  an  orange  like  a  church  steeple  ? 

39.  What  word  is  that,  to  which  if  you  add  a  syllatk^  it 
will  make  it  shorter  ? 

40.  Why  is  life  like  a  publican's  door-post  ? 

41.  What  letters  of  the  alphabet  are  likely  to  com<j  too 
late  for  dinner,  supposing  the  whole  to  be  invited  ? 

42.  Why  »re  two  men  fighting  a  duel  like  a  garden  rail- 
ing? 

43.  Why  is  swearing  like  an  old  coat  ? 

44.  What  is  that  which  a  coach  cannot  move  without,  and 
ycit  is  not  of  the  least  use  to  it  ? 

45.  Why  are  fixed  stars  like  pens,  ink,  and  paper  ? 

46.  Why  is  a  jest  like  a  fowl  ? 

47.  Why  is  the  sun  like  a  man  of  fashion  ? 

48.  What  do  we  all  do  when  we  first  get  into  bed  ? 

49.  When  is  a  nose  not  a  nose  ? 

50.  What  thing  is  that  that  is  lower  with  a  head  than 
without  one  ? 

51.  Why  is  a  cobbler  like  a  king  ? 

52.  Why  is  a  cherry  like  a  book  ? 

53.  Who  was  the  first  that  bore  arms? 

54.  What  river  is  that  which  runs  between  two  seasT 

55.  When  is  the  river  Thames  good  for  the  eyes  ? 

56.  What  place  should  a  glutton  be  sent  to  ? 
67.  Why  is  a  watchman  like  a  mill-horse  ? 


CONUNDRUMS.  V%  17J 

68.  What  wig  cannot  a  barber  make  ?  vrV7 

59.  Why  is  an  inn  like  a  burial  ground  ? 

60.  When  is  a  sailor  not  a  sailor  'f 

61.  Of  what  trade  is  the  sun  ? 

62.  Where  should  a  starving  man  be  sent  tof 

63.  Who  was  the  first  whistler  ? 

64.  What  tune  did  he  whistle  ? 

65.  Why  are  real  friends  like  ghosts  ? 

66.  Why  is  Satan  like  a  poker  ? 

67.  When  is  a  man  not  a  man  ? 

68.  What  bird  is  a  pedlar  like  ? 

69.  When  is  a  sailor  like  a  corpse  ? 

70.  Make  V  less  by  adding  to  it. 

71.  Why  is  a  widow  like  a  gardener? 

72.  Why  is  a  hired  landau  not  a  landau  ? 

73.  Why  is  a  tight  boot  like  an  oak  tree  ? 

74.  What  two  letters  of  the  alphabet  make  a  philosopher  f 

75.  Why  are  your  nose  and  chin  always  at  variance  ? 

76.  When  you  go  to  bed,  why  are  your  slippers  like  an 
unsuccessful  man  ? 

77.  What  is  that  which  is  sometimes  with  a  head,  some 
times  without  a  head,  sometimes  with  a  tail,  sometimes  with- 
out a  tail,  and  sometimes  without  either  head  or  tail  ? 

78.  Why  is  the  largest  city  in  Ireland  likely  to  be  the 
largest  place  in  the  world  ? 

79.  Why  is  a  bad  epigram  like  a  poor  pencil  ? 


176  ENIGMAS,    RIDDLES,    ETC. 

80.  Why  is  one  who  lives  by  cheating  sharper  than  the 
sharpest '{ 
.81.  How  do  you  swallow  a  door  ? 
82.  Why  is  a  fruit  pie  like  old  port  ? 
83   What  is  sharper  than  a  razor  ? 

84.  Why  is  a  thump  like  a  hat  ? 

85.  Why  ought  a  fisherman  to  be  very  wealthy  ? 

86.  If  a  fender  and  fire-irons  cost  three  pounds,  what  will 
a  ton  of  coals  come  to  ? 

87.  Why  is  a  summer's  day  like  a  passionate  man  ? 

88.  Why  is  a  watchman  like  a  mill-horse? 

89.  Why  is  the  monument  like  a  proud  man  ? 

90.  Why  is  a  key  like  an  hospital  ? 

91.  Why  is  a  drawn  tooth  like  a  thing  forgot? 

92.  Why  is  a  good  man  like  a  bright  jewel  ? 

93.  Why  is  an  apothecary  like  a  woodcock  ? 

94.  Why  is  it  better  to  have  friends  than  to  want  them  ? 

95.  What  is  that  which  is  often  brought  to  table,  often 
cut,  but  never  eaten  ? 

96.  Why  is  a  jailor  like  a  musician  ? 

97.  What  is  that  which  lives  in  winter,  dies  in  summer, 
and  grows  with  its  root  upwards  ? 

98.  In  what  place  did  the  cock  crow  when  all  the  world 
could  hear  him  ? 

99.  Why  is  the  soul  like  a  thing  of  no  consequence? 
100.  If  you  throw  a  man  out  of  a  window,  what  does  he 

fall  against  ? 


THE  KEY 

TO  THE  ENIGMAS,  RIDDLES,  &c. 


1.  The  letter  H. 

2.  The  Eye. 

3.  Monosyllable. 

4.  A  Dog. 

6.  An  Almanac. 


1.  Fire. 

2.  Stri-king. 

3.  Foot-man. 

4.  Milk-maid. 


ENIGMAS. 

6.  Letter  E. 

7.  Noah  in  the  Ark. 

8.  Hay. 

9.  Lark-spur. 
10.  Car-nation. 

CHARADES. 

5.  Candle-stick. 

6.  Foot-stool. 

7.  Flow-er  (flower). 

8.  Mistake. 


11.  Time. 

12.  Life. 

13.  The  Moon. 

14.  Letter  0. 


9.  Waist-coat. 

10.  Well-come  (wel- 
come). 

11.  Sun-day. 


1   Your  voice  is  lost  on  him. 

2.  Because   they   are    all  num 

bered. 

3.  Because  he  has  pages. 

4.  Because  it  has  veins  in  it. 
6.  A  ditch. 

12 


CONUNDRUMS. 

6.  When  it  is  a  little  tart. 

7.  When  he  is  a  gobbling  (gob- 


Un). 

8.  The  great  shay-hoss  (chaos). 
\y.  They    go    round    with    tho 
world. 

(177) 


178 


ENIGMAS,    RIDDLES,    ETC. 


11. 
12. 
13. 


14. 

15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 

19. 
20. 
21. 

22. 
23. 

24. 

25. 
26. 
27. 

28. 
29. 
30, 
8L 


At  Endor. 

Two,  the  inside  and  outside. 

Yesterday. 

Because  it  was   forty  days 

before    he    saw  ere-a  rat 

(Ararat). 
Because  they  go  too,  too,  too, 

(two  and  two  and  two). 
Because  it  is  flesh  and  blood. 
When  they  are  chattering. 
Long-Acre. 
Because  it  makes  him  hold 

his  jaw. 
Pul-tusk. 
In-cisors. 

Because  they're  sent  in -com- 
plete. 
The  Elder-tree. 
Because  he  is  full  of  dues 

(dews). 
Because   they  are   leg-ends 

(legends). 
In  his  fortieth. 
Because  it  is  on  a  stand. 
Because  they  are  hearty-fish 

all  (artificial). 
On  the  other  side. 
What  does  y-e-s  spell. 
To  keep  his  head  warm. 
One    miss-guides    and    the 
other  guides  miss. 


32.  Because  they  are  high  ho«ie, 
(heigh  ho's!) 

33.  Because  it  is  infirm. 

34.  Because  he   is  over   a   fish 
bouse  (officious). 

35.  To  find  out  the  most  difficult 
thing  in  the  world. 

36.  Because    it  must  be   dark 
when  they  shine. 

37.  When  it  's  a-jar. 

38.  Because  we  have  a  peel  from 
it. 

39.  Short  (short-er). 

40.  Because  it  is  chequered. 

41.  Those  that  come  after  T.  (U, 

V,  W,  X,  Y,  Z.) 

42.  Because  they're  fencing. 

43.  Because  it  is  a  bad  habit. 

44.  Noise. 

45.  Because  they  are  stationary, 

(stationery). 

46.  It  contains  a  merry-thought. 

47.  Because  it  turns  night  into 

day. 

48.  Make  aa  impression. 

49.  AVhen   it  is  a  little   radish 

(reddish). 

50.  A  pillow. 

51.  Because  his  nose  is  abort 

his  chin. 


ENIGMAS,    RIDDLEIsl,    ll'i.0. 


179 


B2. 

Because  it  is  read  (red) . 

53. 

Adam. 

64. 

The  Thames,  which  flows  be- 
tween Chelsea  and  Battersca. 

76. 

55. 

When  it  is  eye-water  (Ugh 

77. 

water). 

78. 

66. 

Eat-on  (Eaton). 

67. 

Because  he  goes  his  rounds. 

79. 

58. 

An  Ear-wig. 

80. 

59. 

Because  the  weary  traveller 

81. 

there  finds  rest. 

82. 

60. 

When  he  is  a-board. 

83. 

61. 

A  Tanner. 

84. 

62. 

Hungary. 

85. 

63. 

The  Wind. 

86. 

64. 

Over  the  hills  and  far  away. 

87. 

65. 

They  are  often  heard  of,  but 

88. 

seldom  seen. 

89. 

66. 

Because  he  belongs  to  the 

90. 

fire-place. 

91. 

67. 

When  he's  a  shaving. 

68. 

A  Hawk. 

92. 

69. 

When  he  is  in  the  shrouds. 

70. 

IV. 

93. 

71. 

Because  she  tries  to  get  rid 

94. 

of  her  weeds. 

95. 

72 

Because  it  is  a  landau  let. 

96. 

73 

Because  it  produces  a-corn. 

97. 

(acorn). 

98. 

74 

Y  Z.  (Wise  head). 

99. 

76 

Becaose    words    are    con- 

100. 

stantly  passing   between 

them. 

Because  they  bxq  pnt-f>ff  till 
the  next  day. 

A  wig. 

Because   every  year  it  is 
doubling  (Dublin). 

Because  it  has  got  no  ^Tr^int. 

Because  he  is  a  sharpci. 

Bolt  it. 

Because  it  is  crusted. 

Hunger. 

Because  it  is  felt. 

Because  his  is  all  net  profii. 

To  ashes. 

Because  it  is  hot. 

Because  he  goes  his  rounds. 

Because  it  is  lofty. 

Because  it  has  wards  in  it 
,  Because   it  is   out   of  the 

head. 
.  Because  all  his  actions  are 

brilliant. 
,  Because  he  has  a  long  bill. 
.  Because  they  are  so  hard 
,  A  pack  of  cards,     [to  find. 
.  Because  he  fingers  the  keys. 
.  An  icicle. 
.  In  Noah's  ark. 
.  It  is  immaterial. 
.  His  inclination. 


1,80  ENIGMAS,    JRlDD.oJJu,    ETC. 

GEOGRAPHICAL  PLAY. 

Let  each  person  of  a  party  write  on  a  piece  of  paj»er  ths 
name  of  some  town,  country,  or  province :  shuffle  theso 
tickets  together  in  a  little  basket,  and  whoever  draws  out  one 
is  obliged  to  give  an  account  of  some  production,  either 
natural  or  manufactured,  for  which  that  place  is  remarkable. 
This  game  brings  out  a  number  of  curious  bits  of  informa- 
tion which  the  party  may  have  gleaned  in  reading  or  in 
travelling,  and  which  they  might  never  have  mentioned  to 
each  other,  but  from  some  such  motive. 

Let  us  suj  pose  there  to  be  drawn  Nuremberg,  Turkey, 
and  Iceland,  of  which  the  drawers  narrate  thus  : — 

Nuremherrj  has  given  to  the  world  many  useful  inven- 
tions. Here  were  first  made  the  pocket-watch,  the  air-gun, 
gun-lock,  and  various  mathematical  and  musical  instruments; 
and  at  present  half  the  children  of  Europe  are  indebted  to 
Nuremberg  for  toys ;  and  the  industry  of  the  inhabitants  is 
/Xtended  to  teaching  birds  to  pipe. 

Turkey  is  celebrated  for  its  costly  carpets,  which  all  the 
efforts  of  European  art  and  capital  have  failed  in  closely 
imitating ;  yet  these  carpets  are  woven  by  the  women  among 
the  wandering  tribes  of  Asiatic  Turkey.  The  turKey  bird  is, 
however,  very  absurdly  named,  since  it  conveys  the  false  idea 
that  the  turkey  originated  in  Asia,  whereas  it  is  a  native  of 
America.  Neither  is  "  Turkey  Coffee"  grown  in  Turkey,  but 
is  so  named  from  the  great  eonsumption  of  coffee  in  that 
ocmntry. 


STOEY-PLAY.  181 

Iceland  produces  in  abundance  a  certain  lichen  called  Ice- 
land Moss,  which  is  brought  to  England  as  a  medicine,  but 
is  in  its  native  country  used  in  immense  quantities  as  an 
article  of  common  food.  When  the  bitter  quality  has  been 
extracted  by  steeping  in  water,  the  moss  is  dried  and  re- 
duced to  powder,  and  then  made  into  a  cake  with  meal,  oi 
boiled  and  eaten  with  milk. 

STORY-PLAT. 

You  are  to  whisper  a  word,  which  must  be  a  substantive, 
to  the  person  who  begins  the  play,  and  who  is  to  tell  a  short 
story  or  anecdote,  into  which  the  word  is  to  be  frequently 
introduced.  It  requires  some  ingenuity  to  relate  the  story 
in  so  natural  a  manner,  that  the  word  shall  not  be  too  evi- 
dent, and  yet  it  may  be  sufficiently  marked.  When  the 
story  is  finished,  each  of  the  party  endeavours  to  guess  the 
word ;  and  the  person  who  discovers  it  tells  the  next  story. 
The  following  is  a  specimen : — 

"  Three  young  children  were  coming  down  the  Mississippi 
with  their  father  in  a  sort  of  boat,  which  they  call  theile  a 
pirogue.  They  landed  on  a  desert  island  in  that  wide  river 
on  a  bitter  snowy  evening,  in  the  month  of  December ;  their 
father  left  them  on  the  island)  promising  to  return  after  he 
had  procured  some  brandy  at  a  house  on  the  opposite  bank, 
lie  pushed  off  in  his  little  boat,  to  cross  the  river ;.  but  the 
wind  was  high,  and  the  water  rough.    The  children  watched 


182  ENIGMAS,   RIDDLES,   ETC. 

him  with  tears  in  their  eyes,  struggling  in  his  pirogue 
against  the  stream,  till  about  half  way  across,  when  they 
saw  the  boat  sink,  and  never  more  saw  their  father.  Poor 
children  !  they  were  left  alone,  exposed  to  the  storm,  with- 
out fire,  shelter,  or  even  food,  except  a  little  corn. 

*'  As  the  night  came  on,  the  snow  fell  faster ;  and  the 
eldest,  who  was  a  girl  only  six  years  old,  but  very  sensible 
and  steady  for  her  age,  made  her  little  sister  and  her  infant 
brother  creep  close  to  her,  and  she  drew  their  bare  feet  un- 
der her  clothes.  She  had  collected  a  few  withered  leaves  and 
branches  to  cover  them,  and  in  this  manner  they  passed 
the  long  winter's  night.  Next  morning,  she  tried  to  sup- 
port her  poor  weeping  companions  by  giving  them  corn  to 
chew ;  and  sometimes  she  made  them  run  about  with  her, 
to  keep  themselves  warm. 

"  In  this  melancholy  state,  you  may  imagine  what  was 
her  joy  when,  in  the  course  of  the  day,  she  discovered  a  boat 
approaching  the  island.  It  happily  contained  some  good- 
natured  Indians,  who  took  compassion  on  the  children, 
shared  their  food  with  them,  and  safely  conveyed  them  to 
New  Madrid  in  their  own  boat." 

CAPPING  VERSES. 

Let  VLB  suppose  a  party  seated  around  the  parlour  fire,  and 
each  person  to  repeat  as  much  of  a  poem  as  will  complete 
the  sense;    the  successive  quotations  all   alluding  to  one 


CAPPING    VERSES.  188 

general  subject,  or,  at  least,  to  something  touched  upon  by 
the  previous  speaker.  The  following  is  a  sample,  in  which 
eight  persona  join  : — 

A    Heap  on  more  coals,  the  •wind  is  chill ; 
But  let  it  whistle  as  it  will, 
We'll  keep  our  merry  Christmas  still. 

B.  Still  linger  in  our  northern  clime 
Some  remnants  of  the  good  old  time ; 
And  still,  within  our  valleys  here, 
We  hold  the  kindred  title  dear. 

C.  Decrepit  now,  December  moves  along 
The  planky  plains. 

D.  Phoebus  arise, 

And  paint  the  sable  skies. 

With  azure,  white  and  red ; 

Rouse  Memnon's  mother  from  her  Tithon's  bed, 

That  she  with  roses  thy  career  may  spread. 

E.  Sad  wears  the  hour,  heavy  and  drear. 
Creeps,  with  slow  pace,  the  waning  year; 
And  sullen,  sullen  heaves  the  blast 

Its  deep  sighs  o'er  the  lonely  wast«. 

F.  Who  loves  not  more  the  night  of  June, 
Than  dull  December's  gloomy  noon  ? 
The  moonlight  than  the  fog  of  frost  ? 
And  can  we  say  which  cheats  the  most? 


181  ENIGMAS,    RIDDLES,    ETC. 

G.  Mustering  his  storms,  a  sordid  host, 
Lo  I  Winter  desolates  the  year. 

H.  Yet  gentle  hours  advance  their  wing, 
And  Fancy,  mocking  Winter's  night, 
With  flowers,  and  dews,  and  streaming  lights 
Already  decks  the  new-born  spriaf . 


»T^^:.T.-rT     -' 


MISCELLANIES. 


TO  POLISH  SHELLS. 

Many  species  of  marine  and  fresh-water  shells  are  com- 
posed of  mother-of-pearl,  covered  with  a  strong  epidermis. 
When  it  is  wished  to  exhibit  the  internal  structure  of  the 
shells,  this  epidermis  is  removed,  and  the  outer  testaceous 
coatings  polished  down,  until  the  pearly  structure  becomes 
visible.  It  has  been  a  common  practice  to  remove  the  thick 
epidermis  of  shells  by  means  of  strong  acids,  but  this  is  a 
very  hazardous  and  tedious  mode  of  operation.  The  best 
plan  is  to  put  the  shells  into  a  pan  of  cold  water,  with  a 
quantity  of  quick-lime,  and  boil  them  from  two  to  four  hours, 
according  to  the  thickness  of  the  epidermis.  The  shells 
should  be  afterwards  gradually  cooled,  and  then  some 
diluted  muriatic  acid  applied  carefully  to  the  epidermis, 
which  it  will  dislodge  so  that  it  may  be  easily  peeled  off. 
Two  hours  are  quite  sufficient  for  such  shells  as  the  30m- 
mon  muscle  to  boil.    After  this,  they  must  be  polished  with 

(185) 


186  MISCELLANIES 

rotten-stone  and  oil,  put  on  a  piece  of  chamois  leather,  and 
then  rubbed  with  a  flannel  or  nail  brush. 

The  epidermis  of  the  Unio  Margaritifera  is  so  thick  that 
it  requires  from  four  to  five  hours  boiling ;  underneath  this 
epidermis,  there  is  a  thick  layer  of  dull  calcareous  matter, 
which  must  be  started  off  with  a  knife,  or  other  sharp  in- 
strument; this  requires  great  labour,  but  when  accomplished, 
a  beautiful  mother-of-pearl  specimen  is  obtained,  which 
makes  an  agreeable  variety.  Various  Turbos  and  Trochusea 
are  also  deprived  of  their  epidermis,  and  polished  with 
files,  sand-paper,  and  pumice-stone,  till  the  pearly  appear- 
ance is  obtained.  After  the  operation  of  polishing  and 
washing  with  acids,  a  little  Florence  oil  should  be  rubbed 
over,  to  bring  out  the  colours,  and  destroy  the  influence  of 
the  acid,  should  any  remain  on  the  shell  3  it  also  tends  to 
preserve  the  shells  from  decay.  The  muriatic  acid  should 
be  applied  to  the  epidermis  by  means  of  a  feather :  it  should 
not  be  suffered  to  remain  on  the  outside  of  the  shell  for 
more  than  a  minute  or  two,  and  the  greatest  care  should  be 
used  to  keep  the  acid  from  touching,  and  consequently 
destroying  the  enamelled  surface  of  the  inside;  indeed, 
some  persons  coat  the  parts  of  the  shell  which  they  wish  to 
preserve  from  the  effects  of  the  acid,  with  bees' -wax.  Some 
conchologists  prefer  laying  white  of  egg  on  the  shell  with  a 
small  camel's  hair  brush,  to  rubbing  them  with  Florence 
oil 


MISCELLANIES.  187 

.   :    -  :?  NOISE  IN  SHELLS.  A>._ 

Hold  the  mouth  of  a  sea-shell  to  the  ear,  and  a  singular 
resonance  will  be  heard  from  within,  which  has  been  fanci- 
fully said  to  resemble  the  noise  of  the  distant  ocean :  this 
effect  being  caused  by  the  hollow  form  of  the  shell  and  its 
polished  surface  enabling  it  to  receive  and  return  the  beat- 
ings of  all  sounds  that  chance  to  be  trembling  in  the  air 
around  the  shell. 

HOW  TO  GROW  AN  OAK  IN  A  HYACINTH-GLASS.    ..^ 

Take  an  acorn  in  November  or  December,  and  tie  a  string 
round  it,  so  that  when  it  is  suspended,  the  blunt  end  of  the 
acorn,  where  the  cup  was,  is  upwards.  Hang  it  thus  pre- 
pared, in  the  middle  of  a  bottle  or  hyacinth-glass,  contain- 
ing a  little  water,  taking  care  that  the  acorn  does  not  reach 
within  an  inch  of  the  water;  then  wrap  up  the  bottle  in 
flannel,  and  put  it  in  a  warm  place.  In  three  or  four  weeks 
the  acorn  will  have  swollen,  its  coat  will  have  burst,  and  a 
little  white  point  will  make  its  appearance  at  the  end  oppo- 
site the  water.  This  point  is  the  root,  for  the  acorn  is  be- 
coming an  oak :  it  must,  however,  still  be  kept  in  the  dark, 
and  clear  of  the  water,  till  the  young  root  is,  at  least,  half 
an  inch  long.  The  wg,ter  may  then  be  allowed  to  rise 
higher ;  but  it  is  only  when  from  the  neck  of  the  root  a  little 
point  begins  to  turn  upward,  that  it  is  safe  to  allow  the 
water  to  touch  it;  this  point  being,  in  fact,  the  beginning 


188  MISCELLANIES. 

of  a  trunk,  which,  a  century  later,  may  form  the  timber  ot 
a  frigate.  As  soon  as  this  young  stem  begins  to  shoot,  the 
oak  will  require  a  dose  of  light,  a  little  every  day ;  and  it 
also  yearns  for  more  food,  so  that  its  root,  which  is  in  reality 
its  mouth,  must  be  allowed  to  touch  the  wat^r,  and  to  drink 
it.  The  little  creature  must  then  have  air;  it  digests,  and 
must  have  light;  it  sucks  greedily,  and  must  have  fresh 
water  given  to  its  root,  which,  however,  should  be  never 
wholly  covered;  just  that  point  where  the  stem  begins 
being  always  kept  out  of  the  water.  The  pet  may  now  be  set 
in  a  window.  At  first,  it  will  be  a  stout  thread,  whitish, 
and  covered  with  tiny  scales, — then  the  scales  will  expand 
a  little,  and  the  end  become  greener.  Next  will  appear  some 
little  leaves;  hair  will  begin  to  grow,  veins  will  branch; 
the  old  scales  will  fall  ofi",  and  the  leaves  will  slowly  arrange 
themselves  upon  the  stem,  each  unfolding  from  the  bosom 
of  the  other.  And  thus,  out  of  a  little  starch  and  gum,  for 
the  acorn  was  not  much  more,  manifold  parts  will  be 
curiously  produced  by  the  wondrous  creative  powers  of 
nature. 

GLASS  FROM  STRAW. 
Wheat-straw,  without  any  addition,  may  be  melted  into  a 
colourless   glass  with  the   blow-pfpe.     Barley-straw  melti 
into  a  glass  of  a  bright  yellow  colour. 


MISCELLANIES.  1€8 

t  TO  EXTRACT  THE  PERFUME  OF  FLOWERS. 

Procure  a  quantity  of  the  petals  of  any  flower  which  has 
an  agreeable  perfume ;  card  or  comb  thin  layers  of  cotton 
wool,  dip  them  into  the  best  Florence  oil,  sprinkle  a  small 
quantity  of  fine  salt  on  the  flowers,  and  place  layers  of  cot- 
ton and  flowers  alternately,  in  an  earthen,  or  else  a  wide- 
mouthed  glass  vessel,  until  it  is  full.  Then  tie  the  top 
closely  with  a  bladder,  and  place  the  vessel  in  a  south  aspect 
exposed  to  the  heat  of  the  sun ;  and  in  about  fifteen  days, 
when  opened,  a  fragrant  oil  may  be  squeezed  from  the 
whole  mass,  little  inferior,  if  roses  be  chosen,  to  the  dear 
and  highly-prized  otto  or  attar  of  roses. 

VEGETABLE  SKELETONS. 

Procure  a  large  earthen  open-topped  pan,  which  will  hold 
about  a  gallon,  and  put  into  it  some  leaves,  seed  vessels, 
&c.,  of  plants;  pour  over  them  just  so  much  boiling  water 
as  will  cover  them,  and  then  place  the  pan  upon  the  tiles 
of  the  house,  or  any  other  place,  exposed  to  the  rays  of  the 
sun,  or  the  changes  of  the  weather.  Occasionally  and  care- 
fully stir  the  leaves,  but  never  change  the  water.  The 
putrefaction  and  fermentation  will  soon  ensue,  and  in  about 
six  weeks,  or  rather  more,  most  of  the  specimens  will  be 
completely  macerated,  and  require  no  further  care  than 
merely  to  hold  them  singly  under  the  tap  of  a  water-butt, 
or  a  little  stream  of  water  poured  from  a  jug,  to  wash  away 


Ij^  MISCELLANIES. 

all  the  putrid  green  pulpy  matter.  If  this  matter  will  not 
come  off  easily,  when  slightly  assisted  by  the  thumb  and 
finger,  or  a  small  knife,  the  leaves  must  be  soaked  for  some 
short  time  longer.  Such  of  the  leaves  as  are  brittle  and 
liable  to  break  during  the  rinsing,  may  be  preserved  from 
fracturing  by  placing  them  upon  a  piece  of  board,  and  hold- 
ing them  up  by  the  thumb  and  finger,  while  the  water 
is  running  upon  them ;  and  if  some  of  the  green  matter 
still  remain  between  the  veins  of  the  skeleton-leaf,  it  may 
speedily  be  removed  by  striking  the  leaf  perpendicularly 
and  carefully  with  a  clothes  brush.  The  maceration  and 
cleansing  being  finished,  the  leaves  will  next  require  bleach- 
ing, which  may  be  done  very  effectually,  by  putting  them  in 
a  band-box,  with  a  small  quantity  of  sulphur  burning  in  a 
little  gallipot  by  the  side  of  them.  The  most  certain  method, 
however,  of  bleaching  objects  of  this  description,  is  to  im- 
merse  them  in  dilute  chloride  of  lime,  or  chloride  of  soda, 
for  a  few  minutes.  Ainongst  the  most  suitable  subjects  for 
this  interesting  pursuit,  will  be  found  the  leaves  of  the 
white  and  black  Lombardy  poplars;  the  lime  and  tulip 
trees,  apricot,  apple,  orange,  lemon,  box,  ivy,  holly,  and 
several  of  the  exotic  passion  flowers.  Magnolia  glauca, 
acuminata,  and  others.  The  calices  of  the  Molucalla  laevis 
are,  when  prepared,  exceedingly  pretty;  as  are  also  the 
calices  and  seed  vessels  of  the  blue-flowered  micandra,  of 
the  winter  cherry,  of  henbane ;  the  various  kinds  of  cam- 


MISCELLANIES-  IML 

panulas,  particularly  the  Canterbury  bell,  the  hare-bell,  and 
the  throatwort;  the  larger  species  of  mallows,  the  tree 
mallow,  hoarhound,  field  and  Alpine  eryngoes,  sea-holly, 
moou-trefoil,  yellow  lueern,  common  hedge  nettle,  several 
of  the  nettles,  red  hemp  nettle,  white  fraxinella,  Jerusalem 
sage,  common  thorn  apple,  atropa ;  the  scutillarias  or  skull 
caps ;  and  the  capsules  of  all  species  of  poppies.  To  theso  may 
oe  added  the  stalks  of  the  cabbage,  radish,  flax,  hemp,  and 
stinging-nettles ;  the  tubor  of  the  turnip,  the  involucres  of 
Astrantia  major  and  austriaca,  and  of  the  Hydrangea  horten- 
sis.  The  above  is  a  tolerably  comprehensive  list  of  those 
plants,  the  leaves  and  calices  of  which  may  be  reduced  to 
skeletons  with  the  greatest  certainty ;  the  leaves  o/  the  oak 
contain  so  much  tannin  that  it  is  impossible  to  decompose 
them ;  as  is  the  case  also  with  the  leaves  of  the  waldut,  hazel, 
hornbeam,  chestnut,  maple,  elm,  willow,  sycamore,  buck- 
thorn, and  tea-trees ;  care  should,  therefore,  be  taken  that  no 
leaves  of  the  above-named  trees  be  put  in  the  ves«jpl  in  which 
the  process  of  maceration  is  going  on,  as  they  evolve  their 
tanning  qualities  to  such  a  degree  as  to  hinder  the  decom- 
position of  all  the  others  m  contact  with  them.  It  is  also 
impossible  to  obtain  skeletons  of  the  leaves  of  the  fir  and 
camphor  trees,  and  of  the  laurel,  bay,  and  many  other 
species  of  evergreens  and  shrubs,  from  their  highly  resinous 
properties. 


%K  MISCELLANIES. 

ROSIN  GAS. 

Dip  the  end  of  a  copper  tube,  or  tobacco  pipe  stem,  into 
melted  rosin,  at  a  temperature  a  little  above  that  of  boiling 
wat€r ;  and  having  taken  out  the  tube  or  stem,  hold  it  nearly 
in  a  vertical  position,  and  blow  through  it,  when  bubbles 
■will  be  formed  of  all  possible  sizes,  from  that  of  a  hen's  egg 
to  sizes  which  can  hardly  be  discerned  by  the  naked  eye ; 
and  from  their  silvery  lustre  and  reflection  of  the  different 
rays  of  light,  they  will  have  a  very  pleasing  appearance. 
These  bubbles  generally  assume  the  form  of  a  string  of  beads, 
many  of  them  being  perfectly  regular,  and  connected  by  a 
very  fine  fibre ;  but  the  production  is  never  twice  alike.  If 
expanded  by  hydrogen,  they  would,  probably,  occupy  the 
tipper  part  of  a  room. 

TO  WRITE  BLACK  WITH  WATER. 

Soak  a  sheet  of  paper  in  a  solution  of  sulphate  of  iron 
or  green  copperas,  dry  it,  and  dust  over  it  finely-powdered 
galls  ;  then  write  upon  the  paper  with  a  pen  dipped  in  water, 
and,  on  drying,  the  characters  will  appear  black.  Similar 
papers  may  be  prepared  by  using  other  solutions  and  powders : 
thus,  blue  may  be  prepared  by  soaking  it  in  a  solution  of 
sulphate  of  iron,  and  dusting  it  with  powdered  ferrocyanate 
of  potash. 


fft..^  THE 

BOOK  OF  BIRDS. 


THE  CONDOR.     {Sarcoramphus  gryphus.') 

The  first  order  of  birds,  Raptores,  includes  Yultures, 
Falcons,  and  Owls.  They  are  distinguished  by  a  strong 
curved  bill,  fitted  for  tearing  flesh,  having  on  each  side 
towards  the  end  a  pi-ojection,  like  a  tooth ;  the  base  is  fre- 
quently covered  with  a  naked  membrane,  called  a  cere; 
the  legs  are  short,  and  the  claws  sharp-pointed  and  con- 
siderably curved.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  the  femaloi 
of  birds  of  prey,  unlike  those  of  the  other  orders,  are  rather 
larger  and  more  powerful  than  the  males. 

The  Vultures  generally  have  no  feathers  on  the  head  and 
upper  part  of  the  nock,  a  peculiarity  which  enables  them 
to  feed  more  easily  on  carrion,  which  is  their  favourite 
food.  Of  these  the  most  remarkable  is  the  Condor.  Mr. 
Nuttall  says  that  the  Condor  derives  its  name  from  au 
Indian  word  which  alludes  to  its  supposed  sagacious  scent. 


22  THECONDOR. 

It  inhal.  ts  the  whole  chain  of  the  Andes  of  Mexico,  Peru, 
Chili,  anJ  Patagonia  to  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  and,  on  the 
authority  of  Lewis  and  Clarke,  they  are  sometimes  seen  in 
the  range  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  towards  the  sources  of 
the  Missouri.  Their  peculiar  residence  is  the  great  chain 
of  the  high  Andes,  where  they  associate  three  or  four  together 
upon  the  points  of  cliffs  without  either  fearing  or  injuring 
men,  so  that  they  may  be  approached  within  four  yards  with- 
out showing  alarm,  or  making  on  their  part  any  attempt  at 
attack.  Hardly  an  instance  is  really  known  of  their  even 
assaulting  an  infant,  though  some  credulous  naturalists, 
with  the  exaggerating  privilege  of  travellers,  have  given 
accounts  of  their  killing  young  persons  of  ten  or  twelve  years 
of  age.  Their  ability  for  such  rapine  is  not  to  be  doubted, 
but  their  natural  cowardice  forbids  the  attempt.  At  the 
same  time,  it  is  not  uncommon  to  see  them  follow  and  hover 
around  a  young  bull  until  they  have  torn  out  his  ejes  and 
tongue. 

A  pair  of  Condors  will  not  only  in  this  way  attack  the 
deer  of  the  Andes,  the  puma  or  American  lion  (our 
panther),  the  vicogne,  and  the  llama  (or  American  camel), 
V;ut  also  the  wild  heifer.  They  will  pursue  it  for  a  long 
time,  occasionally  wounding  it  with  thdr  bill  and  claws,  until 
the  unfortunate  animal,,  now  stifled  and  overcome  with 
fatigue,  extends  its  tongue  and  groans;  on  which  occasion 
the  Condor  seizes  this  member,  being  a  very  tender  and 
feivorite  morsel,  and  tears  out  the  eyes  of  his  prey,  which  at 


THE    CONDOR.  23 

length  falls  jirostrate  to  the  earth  and  slowly  expires.  The 
Condor  then  gorges  himself,  and  rests  in  stupidity,  and 
almost  gluttonous  inebriation,  perched  upon  the  highest 
neighbouring  rocks.  The  formidable  hunter,  now  loaded  with 
his  meal,  may  be  driven  about  without  his  attempting  to 
fly;  and  in  this  state  the  Indians  sometimes  pursue  them 
with  the  lasso  or  noose,  and  easily  take  them  captive.  Thu3 
restrained,  the  Condor  makes  extraordinary  efforts  to  rise 
mto  the  air ;  but  fatigued  by  the  attempt,  he  begins  to 
Jisgorge  himself  freely,  an  effort  he  appears  to  assist  by 
lengthening  and  shortening  the  neck,  and  bringing  forward 
Ihe  sheath  of  his  beak.  They  will  approach  dwellings  when 
illured  by  the  scent  of  food ;  and  a  dead  animal  will  draw 
down  a  crowd  of  these  gluttons,  where  none  at  the  time  are 
it  all  visible ;  they  tear  and  eat  with  the  greatest  voracity, 
pushing  sometimes  with  their  feet,  and  flapping  their 
wings.  - 

They  make  no  nest,  but  deposit  their  eggs  upon  the  naked 
rock ;  these  are  two,  wholly  white,  and  three  or  four  inches 
in  length.  It  is  said  that  the  female  remains  with  her 
young  for  the  space  of  a  year.  The  young  Condor  has  no 
feathers.  His  body,  for  several  months,  is  covered  only 
with  a  very  fine  down  or  whitish  frizzled  hair,  which 
resembles  that  of  young  owls.  This  down  disfigures  the 
young  bird  so  much,  that  in  this  state  it  appears  almost  as 
large  as  an  adult. 

The  size  of  the  Condor  has  been  greatly  exaggerated.    It 


24  THECONDOR. 

seldom  exceeds  threo  feet  in  length  and  nine  and  a  half 
feet  in  extent.*  The  tail  one  foot  two  inches.  The 
bill  is  sti'aight  and  hooked  at  the  point ;  the  plumage  is  white 
in  front,  everywhere  else  of  a  brownish  gray ',  head  bare  of 
feathers  and  covered  with  hard  wrinkled  skin,  scattered  over 
with  blackish  hairs,  and  it  has  a  collar  of  white  silky  down 
between  the  bare  and  the  feathered  part  of  the  neck.  The 
feet  are  stout,  and  the  nails  long  and  crooked. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

Sir  Francis  Head,  in  his  gallop  across  the  Pampas,  and 
liis  visit  to  the  Andes,  frequently  encountered  Condors.  He 
relates  the  account  of  a  struggle  between  one  of  his  Cornish 
miners  and  a  Condor  gorged  with  food,  and  therefore  not  in 
the  best  state  for  a  fray.  The  man  began  by  grasping  the 
bird  round  the  neck,  which  he  tried  to  break ;  but  the  bird, 
roused  by  the  unceremonious  attack,  struggled  so  violently 
as  to  defeat  the  plan ;  nor,  after  an  hour's  struggling,  though 
the  miner  brought  away  several  of  the  wing-feathers  in 
token  of  victory,  does  it  appear  that  the  bird  was  des- 
patched. 

The  Condor  is  not  only  captured  with  the  lasso,  but  he  is 
taken  by  various  traps  and  stratagems:  According  to  Mr. 
Darwin,  the  Chilenos  ai'e  in  the  habit  of  marking  the  trees 

♦  The  term  extent,  applied  to  the  description  of  birds,  means  the 
distance  from  tip  to  tip  of  the  extcuded  wrings. 


THE    TURKEY-BUZZARD.  25 

in  ff-hich  they  roost,  frequently  to  the  number  of  five  or  siji 
together,  and  then  at  night  climbing  up  and  noosing  them. 
They  are  such  heavy  sleepers  that  this  is  not  a  difficult 
task.  Lieutenant  Maw  saw  the  Condor's  quill  used  as  a 
pen  in  the  Cordillera. 


THE  TURKEY-BUZZARD.     (^Vultur  aura.) 

There  are  many  species  of  Vultures  distributed  over  the 
various  parts  of  the  world,  chiefly  in  the  warmer  countries, 
where  they  are  considered  very  serviceable  in  consuming 
the  carcasses  of  dead  animals,  which  would  otherwise  taint 
the  air.  The  King  Vulture,  found  in  South  America  and 
IMexico,  and  the  California  Vulture,  found  on  our  western 
coast,  arc  among  the  American  species;  but  of  these  the 
most  ccmnion,  and  therefore  the  most  interesting,  is  the 
Turkey-Buzzard,  which  abounds  in  our  Southern  States  and 
in  the  West  Indies,  where  they  are  commonly  protected  for 
their  services  as  scavengers  of  carrion.  In  the  winter  they 
generally  seek  out  warmth  and  shelter,  hovering  often  like 
grim  and  boding  spectres  in  the  suburbs,  and  on  the  roofs 
and  chimneys  of  the  houses  around  the  cities  of  tho  South 
em  States. 

iMr.  Nuttall  describes  the  Turkey-Buzzard  as  follows  : 
The  Turkey  Vulture  is  about  two  and  a  half  feet  in 
2 


26  THE     WASHINGTON     EAGLE. 

Tength,  and  six  in  breadth.  Ejes  dark  or  reddish-hazel. 
The  head  and  neck  for  about  an  inch  and  a  half  below  the 
ears,  furnished  with  a  reddish  wrinkled  skin,  and  some 
tints  of  blue,  spnnkled  with  short  black  hairs.  From  the 
hind-head  to  the  neck-feathers  the  space  is  covered  with  a 
black  down.  The  fore-part  of  the  neck  is  bare  to  the 
breast-bone.  The  plumage  of  the  neck  is  large  and  tumid, 
and,  with  that  of  the  back  and  shoulders,  nearly  black ; 
almost  all  the  rest  of  the  body  is  of  the  same  <OBlour,  in 
parts  inclining  to  brown.  Third  primary  i»i^est.  The 
wings  extend  to  the  end  of  the  tail.  The  upper  plumage  is 
generally  glossed  with  green  and  bronze,  having  purpli.sh 
reflections.  Legs  feathered  to  the  knees;  the  f.^et  some« 
what  webbed.  .The  bill  nearly  white,  often  tipped  with 
bright  olive  green.  Weight  from  four  and  a  half  to  five 
pounds. 


WASHINGTON  EAGLE.     {FaJco  WasMngtonii.) 

This  splendid  bird  is  found  in  the  mountain  regions  of 
Kentucky.  It  is  the  largest  of  all  the  Eagle  tribe.  Its 
length  is  three  feet  seven  inches ;  extent  of  wings  ten  feet 
two  inches;  bill  three  inches  and  a  quarter.  Length  of 
wing  when  folded  thirty-two  inches ;  length  of  tail  fifteen 
inches;  middle  claw  four  inches  and  three-quarters;  hind 


THE     WASHINGTON    EAGLE.  27 

claw  two  inches  and  a  balf.  The  upper  parts  of  the  body 
are  dark,  shining,  coppery-brown ;  throat,  front,  and  breast, 
rich  bright  cinnamon  colour.  The  whole  appearance  of  the 
bird  grand  and  majestic. 

fLLUSTRATIVE    ANECDO-TES. 

Mr.  Nutlall  says,  "  It  is  to  the  indefatigable  Audubon, 
that  we  owe  the  distinct  notice  and  description  of  this  noble 
Eagle,  which  first  drew  his  attention  while  voyaging  far  up 
the  Mississippi,  in  the  month  of  February,  1814.  At  length, 
he  had  the  satisfaction  of  discovering  its  eyry  in  the  high 
cliffs  of  Green  River  in  Kentucky,  near  to  its  junction  with 
the  Ohio ;  two  young  were  discovered  loudly  hissing  from  a 
fissure  in  the  rocks,  on  the  approach  of  the  male,  from  whom 
they  received  a  fish.  The  female  now  also  came,  and  with 
solicitous  alarm  for  the  safety  of  her  young,  gave  a  loud 
scream,  dropped  the  food  she  had  brought,  and  hovering 
over  the  molesting  party,  kept  up  a  growling  and  threaten- 
ing cry  by  way  of  intimidation ;  and,  in  fact,  as  our  disap- 
pointed naturalist  soon  discovered,  she  from  this  time 
forsook  the  spot,  and  found  means  to  convey  away  her 
young.  The  discoverer  considers  the  species  as  rare ;  indeed, 
its  principal  residence  appears  to  be  in  the  northern  parts 
of  the  continent,  particularly  the  rocky  solitudes  around  the 
great  north-western  lakes,  where  it  can  at  all  times  collect 
its  finny  prey,  and  rear  its  young  without  the  dread  of  man. 
In  the  wintGf  season,  about  January  and  February,  as  well 


28  THE    WASHINGTON    EAGLE. 

as  at  a  later  period  of  the  spring,  these  birds  are  occasioni 
ally  seen  in  this  vicinity,*  rendered  perhaps  bolder  and 
more  familiar  by  want,  as  the  prevalence  of  the  ice  and 
\5old,  at  this  season,  drives  them  to  the  necessity  of  wander- 
ing further  than  usual  in  search  of  food.  At  this  early 
period,  Audubon  observed  indications  of  the  approach  of  the 
breeding  season.  They  ai-e  sometimes  seen  contending  in 
the  air,  so  that  one  of  the  antagonists  will  suddenly  drop 
many  feet  downwards  as  if  woupdcd  or  alarmed.  My 
friend.  Dr.  Hayward  of  Boston,  had  in  his  possession  one 
of  these  fine  docile  Eagles  for  a  considerable  time ;  but 
desirous  of  devoting  it  to  the  then  Linnaium  Museum,  he 
attempted  to  poison  it,  by  corrosive  sublimate  of  mercury; 
several  times,  however,  doses  even  of  two  drams  were  given 
to  it  concealed  in  fish,  without  producing  any  injui'ious 
efifect  on  its  health. 

"  The  Washington  Eagle,  bold  and  vigorous,  disdains 
the  piratical  habits  of  the  Bald  Eagle,  and  invariably 
obtains  his  own  sustenance  without  molesting  the  osprey. 
The  circles  he  describes  in  his  flight  are  wider  than  those 
of  the  White-headed  P-agle ;  he  also  flies  nearer  to  the  land 
or  the  surface  of  the  water ;  and  when  about  to  dive  for  his 
prey,  he  descends  in  circuitous,  spiral  rounds,  as  if  to  check 
the  retreat  of  the  fish,  on  which  he  darts  only  when  within 
the  difctance  of  a  few  yards.     When  his  prey  is  obtained, 

*  Cambridge,  Mass. 


THEBALDEAGLE.  29 

ho  flies  out  at  a  low  elevation  to  a  considerable  distance  to 
enjoy  his  repast  at  leisure. 

"  The  quantity  of  food  consumed  by  this  enormous  bird 
is  very  great,  according  to  the  account  of  those  who  have 
had  them  in  confinement.  Mr.  Audubon's  male  bird 
■weighed  fourteen  and  a  half  pounds  avoirdupois.  One  in  a 
small  museum  in  Philadelphia  (according  to  the  account  of 
my''  friend  Mr.  C.  Pickering),  also  a  male,  weighed  much 
more,  by  which  difference  it  would  appear  that  they  are 
capable  of  becoming  exceedingly  fat ;  for  the  length  of  this 
bird  was  about  th^  same  as  that  of  Audubon,  three  feet  six 
or  seven  inches.-  The  width,  however,  was  only  about  seven 
feet,  agreeing  pretty  nearly  with  a  specimen  now  in  the 
New  England  jMuscum.  The  male  of  the  Golden  Eagle, 
the  largest  hitherto  known,  is  seldom  more  than  three  feet 
long." 


THE  WHITE-HEADED,  OR  BALD  EAGLE. 

(^Ilaliaetus  leucoccpJialus.^ 

This  bird  is  about  three  feet  long,  and  seven  feet  broad 
from  tip  to  tip  of  the  wings.  The  bill  resembles  that  of 
the  golden  eagle,  and  from  the  chin  hang  some  small 
hairy  feathers  like  a  beard.  As  it  is  found  alike  in  regions 
of  excessive  cold  and  in  the  torrid  zone,  it  is  provided  for 


30  "inEBALDEAGLE. 

enduring  rapid  changes  of  temperament,  and  its  whole  body 
is  clothed  under  the  feathers  with  a  kind  of  down,  white 
iind  soft  like  that  of  the  swan.  This  bird  builds  its  nest 
on  some  romantic  cliff  by  the  sea-shore,  or  on  the  bank  of 
some  river  or  lake,  and  feeds  almost  entirely  upon  fish. 

It  is  generally  regarded  by  our  countrymen  with  pecu- 
liar respect,  as  the  chosen  emblem  of  our  native  land. 
ThQ  great  cataract  of  Niagara  is  mentioned  as  one  of  its 
favourite  places  of  resort,  not  merely  as  a  fishing  station, 
where  it  is  enabled  to  satiate  its  hunger  upon  its  most  con- 
genial food,  but  also  in  consequence  of  the  vast  quantity  of 
four-foot<  d  beasts,  which  unwarily  venturing  into  the  stream 
abof,  a  .  borne  away  by  the  torrent,  and  precipitated  down 
thofie  t     oendous  falls. 

High  o'er  the  Tratery  uproar  silent  seen, 
Sailing  sedate  in  majesty  serene,  . 

Now  'midst  the  pillar'd  spray  sublimely  lost, 
And  now  emerging,  down  the  rapids  toss'd. 
Glides  the  Bald  Eagle,  gazing  calm  and  slow 
O'er  all  the  horrors  of  the  scene  below ; 
Intent  alone  to  sate  himself  with  blood. 
From  the  torn  victims  of  the  raging  flood. 

The  number  of  birds  of  prey  of  various  kinds,  which 
»ssemble  at  the  foot  of  the  rocks  to  glut  themselves  upon 
Ihe  banquet  thus  pro\'ided  for  them,  is"  said  to  be  incredibly 
great,  but  they  arc  all  compelled  to  give  place  to  the  Eagle 
when  he  deigns  to  feed  on  dead  animals;  and  the  crow  and 


THE     FALCON.  31 

the  vulture  submit  without  a  struggle  to  the  exercise  of 
that  tyranny,  which  they  know  it  would  be  in  vain  to  resist. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

'J We  have  ourselves,"  says  Wilson,  "seen  the  Bald 
Eagle,  while  seated  on  the  dead  carcass  of  a  horse,  keep  a 
whole  flock  of  vultures  at  a  respectful  distance,  until  he  had 
fully  sated  his  own  appetite  :"  and  he  adds  another  instance, 
in  which  many  thousands  of  tree  squirrels  having  been 
drowned,  in  one  of  their  migrations,  in  attempting  to  pass 
the  Ohio,  and  having  furnished  for  some  length  of  time  a 
rich  banquet  to  the  vultures,  the  sudden  appearance  among 
them  of  the  Bald  Eagle  at  once  put  a  stop  to  their  festivi- 
ties, and  drove  them  to  a  distance  from  their  prey,  of 
which  the  Eagle  kept  sole  possession  for  several  successive 
days. 


THE  FALCON.     (Falco  communis.) 

The  Falcon  is  a  predaceous  bird,  of  which  there  are 
several  species.  The  Gerfalcon  is  the  largest,  and  it  ia 
found  in  the  northern  parts  of  Europe ;  and,  next  to  the 
eagle,  it  is  the  most  formidable,  the  most  active,  and  the 
111  est  intrepid  of  all  voracious  birds,  and  is  the  dearest  and 
most  esteemed  for  falconry.     The  bill  is  crooked  and  jel- 


32  THE     FALCON. 

low ;  the  irides  of  the  eye  dusky ;  aud  the  whole  plumage 
of  a  whitish  hue.  marked  with  dark  lines  on  the  breast,  and 
dusky  spots  on  the  back. 

The  Peregrine  Falcon,  which  is  the  most  common  kind, 
is  as  large  as  the  moor  buzzard.  The  bill  is  blue  at  the 
base,  and  black  at  the  point;  the  head,  back,  scapulars, 
and  coverts  of  the  wings  are  barred  with  deep  black  and 
blue;  the  throat,  neck,  and  upper  part  of  the  breast  are 
white,  tingiid  with  yellow;  the  bottom  of  the  breast,  belly, 
and  thighs  are  of  a  grayish  white;  and  the  tail  is  black 
and  blue. 

Wilson  enumerates  no  less  than  ten  varieties,  dependent 
chiefly  upon  age,  sex,  and  country.  It  is  found,  more  or 
less  abundantly,  throughout  the  whole  of  Europe,  princi- 
pally in  the  mountain  districts  in  North,  and  probably 
South  America,  aud  in  New  Holland,  dwelling  in  the  clefts 
of  rocks,  especially  such  as  are  exposed  to  the  mid-day  sun. 
It  breeds  upon  the  cliffs  in  several  parts  of  England,  but 
appears  to  be  more  common  in  Scotland  and  Wales.  Its 
food  consists  principally  of  small  birds ;  but  it  scruples  not 
to  attack  the  larger  species,  aud  sometimes  gives  battle 
even  to  the  kit€. 

Falcons  rarely  take  their  prey  upon  the  ground,  like  the 
more  ignoble  birds  of  the  class  to  which  they  belong;  but 
pounce  upon  it  from  aloft,  in  a  directly  perpendicular 
descent  as  it  flies  through  the  air,  bear  it  downwards  by  the 
united  impulse  of  the  strength  and  rapidity  of  their  attack, 


T  ]I  E     F  A  L  C  0  N.  33 

tod  sticking  their  talons  into  its  flesh,  carry  it  off  in  tri- 
ninph  to  the  place  of  their  retreat.  Like  most  predatory 
animals,  they  are  stimulated  to  action  by  the  pressure  cf 
hunger  alone,  and  remain  inactive  and  almost  motionless 
while  the  process  of  digestion  is  going  on,  and  until  the 
renewed  cravings  of  their  appetite  stimulate  them  to  fur- 
ther exertion. 

In  different  stages  of  its  growth,  the  Peregrine  Falcon 
has  been  known  by  various  English  names.  Its  proper 
appellation  among  falconers  is  the  Slight  Falcon,  the  term 
Falcon  Gentle  being  equally  applicable  to  all  the  species 
when  rendered  manageable.  In  the  immature  state,  this 
Falcon  is  also  called  a  Red  Hawk,  from  the  prevailing 
colour  of  its  plumage.  The  male  is  called  a  Tiercel,  to  dis- 
tinguish it  from  the  female,  which,  in  the  Falcon  tribe,  is 
most  commonly  one-third  larger  than  the  male. 

ILLUSXRAXIVE    ANECDOTES. 

In  China  there  is  said  to  be  a  variety  which  is  mottled 
with  brown  and  yellow.  These  birds  are  said  to  be  used 
by  the  emperor  of  China  in  his  sporting  excursions,  when 
he  is  usually  attended  by  his  great  falconer,  and  a  thousand 
of  inferior  rank.  Every  bird  has  a  silver  plate  fastened  to 
its  foot,  with  the  name  of  the  falconer  who  has  the  charge 
of  it.  that,  in  case  it  should  be  lost,  it  may  be  restored  to 
tha  proper  person ;  but  if  it  should  not  be  found,  the  name 
18   delivered   to   another   officer,    called    the   guardian   of 


84  T  H  E     F  A  L  C  0  N. 

lost  birds,  who,  to  make  his  situation  known,  erects  hia 
Btandard  in  a  conspicuous  phice  among  the  array  of  hunt3rs. 

In  SjTia,  also,  there  is  a  variety  of  the  Gentle  Falcon, 
which  the  inhabitants  call  Shaheen,  and  which  is  of  so 
fierce  and  courageous  a  disposition,  that  it  will  attack  any 
bird,  however  large  or  powerful,  which  presents  itself. 
"Were  there  not,"  says  Dr.  Eussel,  in  his  account  of 
Aleppo,  "  several  gentlemen  now  in  England  to  bear  wit- 
ness to  the  fact,  I  should  hardly  venture  to  assert  that, 
with  this  bird,  which  is  about  the  size  of  a  pigeon,  the 
inhabitants  sometimes  take  large  eagles. 

"This  Plawk  was  in  former  times  taught  to  seize  the  eagle 
under  the  pinion,  and  thus  depriving  him  of  the  use  of  one 
wing,  both  birds  fell  to  the  ground  together ;  but  the  pre- 
sent mode  is  to  teach  the  Hawk  to  fix  on  the  back,  between 
the  wings,  which  has  the  same  effect,  only  that  the  bird 
tumbling  down  more  slowly,  the  falconer  has  more  time  to 
come  to  his  Hawk's  assistance ;  but  in  either  case,  if  hp  be 
not  very  expeditious,  the  Falcon  is  inevitably  destroyed. 

"I  never  saw  the  Shaheen  fly  at  eagles,  that  sport  having 
been  disused  before  my  time ;  but  I  have  often  seen  him 
take  herons  and  storks.  The  Hawk,  when  thrown  off,  flics 
for  some  time  in  a  horizontal  line,  not  six  feet  from  the 
ground;  then  mounting  perpendicularly,  with  astonishing 
swiftness,  he  seizes  his  prey  under  the  wing,  and  both  togo 
ther  come  tumbling  to  the  ground." 


THEOSPREY.  35 

THE  OSPREY,  Oil  FISHING  HAWK 

(^Falco,  or  Pandion  Haliaetus.^ 

True  to  the  season,  o'er  our  sea-beat  shore, 
The  sailing  Osprey  high  is  seen  to  soar 
With  broad  unmoving  wing ;  and  circling  slow, 
Marks  each  loose  straggler  in  the  deep  below; 
Sweeps  down  like  lightning,  plunges  with  a  roar, 
And  bears  his  struggling  victim  to  the  shore. 

This  bird  is  always  found  on  the  sea-shore,  or  near 
ri<rers  or  lakes,  as  it  feeds  entirely  on  fish.  It  is  common 
in  Great  Britain,  and  also  in  America,  where  large  colonies 
are  found  of  it,  the  birds  living  together  like  rooks.  "  When 
looking  out  for  its  prey,"  says  Dr.  Richai'dson,  "it  sails 
with  great  care  and  elegance,  in  undulating  and  curved 
lines"  at  a  considerable  height  above  the  water,  till  it  per- 
ceives its  prey,  when  it  pounces  down  upon  it.  It  seizes 
the  fish  with  its  claws,  sometimes  scarcely  appearing  to  dip 
its  feet  in  the  water,  and  at  other  times  plunging  entirely 
under  the  surface  with  force  sufficient  to  throw  up  a  con- 
siderable spray.  It  emerges  again,  however,  so  speedily,  as 
to  render  it  evident  that  it  does  not  attack  fish  swimming 
at  any  great  depth." 

The  Osprey  builds  a  large  nest  either  on  trees  or  rocks, 
and  lays  two  or  three  eggs,  which  have  a  reddish  tinge,  and 
are  spotted  with  brown  at  the  larger  end.  The  old  birds 
feed  the  young  ones  even  after  they  have  left  the  nest,  and 
jnl/  rear  one  brood  in  the  year. 


86  THEGOSnAWK. 

AMERICAN  GOSHAWK.— (^s^MT  atricapmus:) 

After  the  eagles  and  falcons,  come  the  Hawks,  which  are 
similar  in  appearance,  but  smaller.  They,  hs  well  as  sonio 
of  the  falcons,  are  famous  for  having  been  trained  to  use  in 
the  chase.  In  the  feudal  times  hawking  was  the  favourite 
amusement  of  kings  and  nobles.  We  have  never  heard  of 
its  being  practised  in  our  country,  although  it  is  still  com- 
mon in  Persia,  and  sometimes,  tjiough  rarely,  there  are 
hawking  parties  on  the  continent  of  Europe. 

The  American  Goshawk  is  twenty-one  inches  long ;  extent 
of  wings  thirty-seven  inches.  Its  colour  is  dark  ash,  tinged 
with  brown.  Our  species  is  related  to  a  European  one, 
which  extends  over  the  northern  countries  of  the  Old  World. 
It  is  rare,  migrating  to  the  south  in  winter. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

In  Mr.  Nuttall's  Ornithology  we  find  the  following  inte- 
resting particulars  concerning  this  bird  : 

On  the  26th  of  October,  1830,  I  received  one  of  these 
birds  from  the  proprietor  of  Fresh  Pond  Hotel,  in  the 
moult,  having  the  stomach  crammed  with  moles  and  mice, 
and  it  was  shot  in  the  act  of  devouring  a  pigeon. 

The  Goshawk  was  held  in  considerable  esteem  for  fal- 
conry, and,  according  to  Bell,  was  employed  for  this  amuse- 
ment by  the  emperor  of  China,  who  moved  sometimes  to 
these  excursions  in  great  state,  often  bearing  a  hawk  on  hii 


THEGOSHAWK.  87 

hand,  to  let  fly  at  any  game  that  might  be  raised :  which 
was  usually  pheasants,  partridges,  quails,  or  cranes.  In 
1269,  Marco  Paulo  witnessed  this  diversion  of  the  emperor, 
which  probably  had  existed  for  many  ages  previous.  The 
falconers  distinguished  these  birds  of  sport  into  two  classes, 
tamely,  those  of  falconry  properly  so  called,  and  those  of 
Jiawkiyig  ;  and  in  this  second  and  inferior  class  were  included 
the  Groshawk,  the  Sparrow-hawk,  Buzzard,  and  Harpy. 
This  species  does  not  soar  so  high  as  the  longer-winged 
Hawks,  and  darts  upon  its  quarry  by  a  side  glance,  not  by 
a  direct  descent,  like  the  true  falcon.  They  were  caught 
in  nets  baited  with  live  pigeons,  and  reduced  to  obedience 
by  the  same  system  of  privation  and  discipline  as  the  falcon. 
A  pair  of  these  birds  were  kept  for  a  long  time  in  a  cage 
by  Buflfon ;  he  remarks,  that  the  female  was  at  least  a  third 
larger  than  the  male,  and  the  wings,  when  closed,  did  not 
reach  within  six  inches  of  the  end  of  the  tail.  The  male, 
though  smaller,  was  much  more  fierce  and  untameable.  They 
often  fought  with  their  claws,  but  seldom  used  the  bill  for 
any  other  purpose  than  tearing  their  food.  If  this  consisted 
of  birds,  they  were  plucked  as  neatly  as  by  the  hand  of  the 
poulterer ;  but  mice  were  swallowed  whole,  and  the  hair  and 
skin,  and  other  indigestible  parts,  after  the  manner  of  the 
genus,  were  discharged  from  the  mouth  rolled  up  in  little 
balls.  Its  cry  was  raucous,  and  terminated  by  sharp,  reite- 
rated, piercing  notes,  the  more  disagreeable  the  oftener  they 
were  repeated,  and  the  cage  could  never  be  approached  with- 


85  TIIEHAWKOWL. 

out  exciting  violent  gestures  and  screams.  Though  of  dif« 
ferent  sexes,  and  confined  to  the  same  cage,  they  contracted 
no  friendship  for  each  other  which  might  soothe  their  impri- 
son nient,  and  finally,  to  end  the  dismal  picture,  the  female, 
in  a  fit  of  indiscriminate  rage  and  violence,  murdered  her 
mate  in  the  silence  of  the  night,  when  all  the  other  feathered 
race  were  wrapped  in  repose.  Indeed  their  dispositions  are 
BO  furious,  that  a  Goshawk,  left  with  any  other  falcons, 
soon  eiFects  the  destruction  of  the  whole.  Their  ordinary 
food  is  young  rabbits,  squirrels,  mice,  moles,  young  geese, 
pigeons,  and  small  birds,  and,  with  a  cannibal  appetite,  they 
sometimes  even  prey  upou  the  young  of  their  own  species. 
They  construct  their  nests  in  the  highest  trees,  and  lay  from 
two  to  four  eggs  of  a  bluish-white,  marked  with  lines  and 
spots  of  brown.  The  egg  of  our  bird,  according  to  Audu- 
bon, is  without  spots. 


THE  HAWK  O^Nh.—{Str^x  funcrea.) 

This  remarkable  species,  says  Mr.  Nuttall,  forming  a  con- 
necting link  with  the  preceding  genus  of  the  Hawks,  is 
nearly  confined  to  the  arctic  wilds  of  both  continents,  being 
frequent  in  Siberia  and  the  fur  countries  from  Hudson's 
Bay  to  the  Pacific.  A  few  stragglers,  now  and  then,  at  dis- 
t;iut  intervals,  and  in  the  depths  of  winter,  penetrate  on  the 


THE     GREAT     HORNED    OWL.  39 

one  side  into  the  northern  parts  of  the  United  States ;  and, 
on  the  other,  they  occasionally  appear  in  Germany,  and  mora 
rarely  in  France.  At  Hudson's  Bay  they  are  observed  by 
day  flying  high,  and  preying  on  flie  white  grouse  and  othei 
birds,  sometimeis  even  attending  the  hunter  like  a  falcon, 
and  boldly  taking  up  the  wounded  game  as  it  flutters  on  tho 
ground.  They  are  also  said  to  feed  on  mice  and  insects, 
and  (according  to  Meyer)  they  nest  upon  trees,  laying  two 
white  eggs.  They  are  said  to  be  constant  attendants  on  the 
ptarmigans  in  their  spring  migrations  towards  the  north; 
and  are  observed  to  hover  round  the  camp-fires  of  the  na- 
tives, in  quest  probably  of  any  offal  or  rejected  game. 


GREAT  HORNED  OWL.— (5«6o  Virginiano,.) 

This  noted  and  formidable  Owl  is  found  in  almost  every 
quarter  of  the  United  States.  His  favourite  residence,  how- 
ever, is  in  the  dark  solitudes  of  deep  swamps,  covered  with 
a  growth  of  gigantic  timber ;  and  here,  as  soon  as  evening 
draws  on,  and  mankind  retire  to  rest,  he  sends  forth  such 
sounds  as  seem  scarcely  to  belong  to  this  world,  startling 
the  solitary  pilgrim  as  he  slumbers  by  his  forest  fire, 

Making  night  hideous. 

Along  the  mountainous  shores  of  the  Ohio,  and  amidst  the 


40 


THE     GREAT     HORNED     OWL 


deep  forests  of  Indiana,  alone,  and  reposing  in  the  woods, 
this  ghostly  watchman  has  frequently  warned  the  traveller  of 
the  approach  of  morning,  and  amused  him  with  his  singular 
exclamations,  sometimes  sweeping  down  and  around  the  fire, 
uttering  a  loud  and  sudden  Wauffh  0!  Wavyh  0!  sufficient 
to  have  alarmed  a  whole  garrison.  He  has  other  nocturnal 
Bolos,  no  less  melodious,  one  of  which  very  strikingly  resem- 
bles the  half-^suppressed  screams  of  a  person  suffocating,  or 
throttled,  and  cannot  fail  of  being  exceedingly  entertaining 
to  a  lonely,  benighted  traveller,  in  the  midst  of  an  Indian 
wilderness ! 

This  species  inhabits  the  country  round  Hudson's  Bay ; 
and  according  to  Pennant,  who  considers  it  a  mere  variety 
of  the  Eagle  Owl  (^Strix  bubo)  of  Europe,  is  found  in  Kamt- 
schatka;  extends  even  to  the  arctic  regions,  where  it  is 
often  found  white ;  and  occurs  as  low  as  Astrakan.  It  has 
also  been  seen  white  in  the  United  States;  but  this  haa 
doubtless  been  owing  to  disease  or  natural  defect,  and  not 
to  climate. 

It  preys  on  young  rabbits,  squirrels,  rats,  mice,  partridges, 
and  small  birds  of  various  kinds. 

ILLUSTRATIVE   ANECDOTES. 

The  Great  Homed  Owl  is  famous  for  his  depredations  on 
the  poultry  yard.  A  very  large  one,  who  had  his  wing 
broken  by  a  shot  while  on  a  foraging  expedition  of  this 


THE     GREj^T     horned    OTTL.  41 

kind  about  a  farm-house,  was  captured  and  kept  'or  sereral 
days,  and  at  length  disappeared,  no  one  knew  whither. 

Almost  every  day  after  this,  hens  and  chickens  also  dis- 
appeared, one  by  one,  in  an  unaccountable  manner,  till  in 
eight  or  ten  days  very  few  were  left  remaining.  The  fox, 
the  minx,  and  weasel,  were  alternately  the  reputed  authors 
of  this  mischief,  until  one  morning,  the  old  lady  herself, 
rising  before  day  to  bake,  in  passing  towards  the  oven, 
surprised  her  late  prisoner,  the  Owl,  regaling  himself  on 
the  body  of  a  newly  killed  hen  !  The  thief  instantly  made 
for  his  hole  under  the  house,  from  whence  the  enraged 
matron  soon  dislodged  him  with  the  brush-handle,  and 
without  mercy  despatched  him.  In  this  snug  retreat  were 
found  the  greater  part  of  the  feathers,  and  many  large  frag- 
ments, of  her  whole  family  of  chickens. 

There  is  something  in  the  character  of  the  Owl  so  recluse, 
solitary,  and  mysterious,  something  so  discordant  in  the 
tones  of  its  voice,  heard  only  amid  the  silence  and  gloom 
of  night,  and  in  the  most  lonely  and  sequestered  situations, 
as  to  have  strongly  impressed  the  minds  of  mankind  in 
general  with  sensations  of  awe  and  abhorrence  of  the  whole 
tribe.  The  poets  have  indulged  freely  in  this  general 
prejudice;  and  in  their  descriptions  and  delineations  of 
midnight  storms,  and  gloomy  scenes  of  nature,  the  OifI 
is  generally  introduced  to  heighten  the  horror  of  the  pic- 
ture. 

Ignorance  and  superstition,  in  all  ages,  and  in  all  countries, 
3 


42  THE     GREAT     HOR^'ED     OWL. 

listen  to  the  voiee  of  the  Owl,  and  even  contemplate  its 
physiognomy  with  feelings  of  disgust,  and  a  kind  of  fearful 
awe.  The  priests,  or  conjurers,  among  some  of  our  Indian 
nations,  have  taken  advantage  of  the  reverential  horror  for 
this  bird,  and  have  adopted  the  Great  Horned  Oicl,  the 
sub;'ect  of  the  present  account,  as  the  symbol  or  emblem  of 
their  office. 

"  Among  the  Creeks,"  says  Mr.  Bartram,  in  his  Traveh, 
p.  504,  ''  the  junior  priests,  or  students,  constantly  wear  a 
white  mantle,  and  have  a  Great  Owl  skin  cased  and  stuffed 
very  ingeniously,  so  well  executed  as  almost  to  appear  like 
the  living  bird,  having  large,  sparkling  glass  beads  or 
buttons,  fixed  in  the  head  for  eyes.  This  insignia  of  wis- 
dom and  divination  they  wear  sometimes  as  a  crest  on  the 
top  of  the  head ;  at  other  times  the  image  sits  on  the  arm, 
or  is  borne  on  the  hand.  These  bachelors  are  also  distin- 
guished from  the  other  people  by  their  taciturnity,  grave 
and  solemn  countenance,  dignified  step,  and  singing  to 
themselves  songs  or  hymns  in  a  low,  sweet  voice,  as  they 
stroll  about  the  town." 

Nothing  is  a  more  effectual  cure  for  superstition  than  a 
knowledge  of  the  general  laws  and  productions  of  nature; 
nor  more  forcibly  leads  our  reflections  to  the  first,  great, 
self-existent  Cause  of  all,  to  whom  our  revei-ential  awe  is 
then  humbly  devoted,  and  not  to  any  of  his  dependent 
creatures.  With  all  the  gloomy  habits  and  ungracious 
tones  of  the  Owl,  there  is  nothing  in  this  bird  supernatural 


THE     GREAT     HORNED      OWL.  '43 

or  mysterious,  or  more  than  that  of  a  simple  bird  cf  proy, 
formed  for  feeding  by  night,  like  many  other  animals,  and  of 
reposing  by  day.  The  harshness  of  its  voice,  occasioned  by 
the  width  and  capacity  of  its  throat,  may  be  intended  by 
Heaven  as  an  alarm  and  warning  to  the  birds  and  animals 
on  which  it  preys,  to  secure  themselves  from  danger.  The 
voices  of  all  carnivorous  birds  and  animals  are  also  observed 
io  be  harsh  and  hideous,  probably  for  this  very  purpose. 

The  Great  Horned  Owl  is  not  migratory,  but  remains 
with  us  the  whole  year.  During  the  day  he  slumbers  in 
the  thick  evergreens  of  deep  swamps,  or  seeks  shelter  in 
large  hollow  trees.  He  is  very  rarely  seen  abroad  by  day, 
and  never  but  when  disturbed.  In  the  month  of  May  they 
usually  begin  to  build.  The  nest  is  generally  placed  in  the 
fork  of  a  tall  tree,  and  is  constructed  of  sticks  piled  in  con- 
siderable quantities,  lined  with  dry  leaves  and  a  few  feathers. 
Sometimes  they  choose  a  hollow  tree ;  and,  in  that  case, 
carry  in  but  few  materials.  The  female  lays  four  eggs, 
nearly  as  large  as  those  of  a  hen,  almost  globular,  and  of 
a  pure  white.  In  one  of  these  nests,  after  the  young  had 
flown,  were  found  the  heads  and  bones  of  two  chickens,  the 
legs  and  head  of  the  golden-winged  woodpecker,  and  part 
of  the  wings  and  feathers  of  several  other  birds.  It  is 
generally  conjectured  that  they  hatch  but  once  in  the 
season. 

According  to  all  authorities,  Owls  have  been  regarded  as 
objects  of  wperstition  ;  and  this  has  sometimes  been  taken 


44  THE     GREAT     HORNED     OWL. 

advantage  of  by  the  well  informed,  for  purposes  far  froni 
what  ought  to  be  the  duty  of  a  better  education  to  inculcate. 
None  are  more  accessible  to  such  superstitions  than  the 
primitive  natives  of  Ireland,  and  the  north  of  Scotland.  Dr. 
Richardson  thus  relates  an  instance,  which  came  to  his  own 
knowledge,  of  the  consequences  arising  from  a  visit  of  thia 
nocturnal  wanderer : — 

"  A  party  of  Scottish  Highlanders,  in  the  service  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company,  happened,  in  a  winter  journey,  to 
encamp  after  nightfall  in  a  dense  clump  of  trees,  whose  dark 
tops  and  lofty  stems,  the  growth  of  more  than  one  century, 
gave  a  solemnity  to  the  scene  that  strongly  tended  to  excite 
the  superstitious  feelings  of  the  Highlanders.  The  efiPect  was 
heightened  by  the  discovery  of  a  tomb,  which,  with  a  natural 
taste  often  exhibited  by  the  Indians,  had  been  placed  in  this 
secluded  spot.  Our  travellers,  having  finished  their  supper, 
were  trimming  their  fire  preparatory  to  retiring  to  rest,  when 
the  slow  and  dismal  notes  of  the  Horned  Owl  fell  on  the  ear 
with  a  startling  nearness.  None  of  them  being  acquainted 
with  the  sound,  they  at  once  concluded,  that  so  unearthly 
a  voice  must  be  the  moaning  of  the  spirit  of  the  departed, 
"s^hose  repose  they  supposed  they  had  disturbed,  by  inad- 
vertently making  a  fire  of  some  of  the  wood  of  which  his 
tomb  had  been  constructed.  They  passed  a  tedious  night 
of  fear,  and,  with  the  firs£  dawn  of  day,  hastily  quitted  the 
Ul'Omeued  spot/' 


THESWALLOTV.  45 

THE  SWALLOW.     {Hirundo  rustica.) 

The  second  order  of  birds,  Insessores,  or  Perching  Birds, 
includes  an  immense  number  of  genera  and  species.  Wo 
shall  notice  the  more  interesting,  without  troubling  our 
readers  with  their  numerous  subdivisions.  We  commence 
with  the  Swallow,"  as  one  of  the  most  common. 

Swallows  are  easily  distinguished  from  all  other  birds, 
not  only  by  their  general  structure,  but  by  their  twittering 
note  and  mode  of  flying,  or  rather  darting  from  place  to 
place. 

They  appear  in  the  temperate  regions  in  April,  and  build- 
ing in  some  out-house,  or  in  part  of  a  human  dwelling,  they 
lay  their  eggs  and  hatch  their  young.  About  August 
they  disappear,  and  do  not  return  till  the  following  spring. 
Swallows  kept  in  a  cage  moult  about  Christmas,  and  seldom 
live  till  spring. 

There  are  several  species  of  the  Swallow :  the  general 
characters,  a  small  beak,  but  large  wide  mouth,  for  the  pur- 
'  pose  of  swallowing  flying  insects,  their  natural  food ;  and 
long  forked  tail  and  extensive  wings,  to  enable  them  to 
pursue  their  prey,  belong  to  all  of  them.  The  common 
house  Swallow  builds  under  the  eaves  of  houses,  or  in 
chimneys,  near  their  top:  the  Martin  also  builds  under 
eaves,  and  very  commonly  against  the  upper  comer  or  side 
of  our  very  windows,  and  seems  not  afraid  at  the  sight  of 
man,  yet  it  cannot  be  tamed,  or  even  kept  long  in  a  cage. 


•16  THE     SWALLOW. 

The  nature  of  the  Swallow's  nest  is  worthy  our  serious 
observation  :  how  the  mud  is  extracted  from  the  sea-shores, 
rivers,  or  other  watery  places;  how  masoned  and  formed 
into  a  solid  building,  strong  enough  to  support  a  whole 
family,  and  to  face  the  "  pelting  storm,"  are  wonders  which 
ought  to  raise  our  mind  to  Him  who  bestowed  that  instinct 
upon  them. 

ILLUSTRAXIVE    ANECDOTE. 

It  is  related  that  a  pair  of  Swallows  built  their  nest  for 
two  successive  years  on  the  handle  of  a  pair  of  garden 
shears,  that  were  stuck  up  against  the  boards  in  an  out- 
house; and,  therefore,  must  have  had  their  nest  spoiled 
whenever  the  implement  was  wanted.  And  what  is  still 
more  strange,  a  bird  of  the  same  species  built  its  nest  on 
the  wings  and  body  of  an  owl  that  happened  to  hang  dead 
and  dry  from  the  rafters  of  a  barn,  and  so  loose  as  to  be 
moved  by  every  gust  of  wind.  This  owl,  with  the  nest  on 
its  wings,  and  with  eggs  in  the  nest,  was  taken  to  the 
museum  of  Sir  Ashton  Lever  as  a  curiosity.  That  gentle- 
man, struck  with  the  singularity  of  the  sight,  furnished  the 
person  who  brought  it  with  a  large  shell,  desiring  him  to 
fix  it  just  where  the  owl  had  hung.  The  man  did  so;  and 
in  the  following  year  a  pair  of  Swallows,  probably  the  same, 
built  their  nest  in  the  shell,  and  laid  eggs. 


THE    BANK     SWALLOW.  47 

THE  CHIMNEY  SWALLOW. 

The  Chimney  Swallow  is  on  the  head,  neck,  back,  and 
rump,  of  a  shining  black  colour,  with  purple  gloss  and 
sometimes  with  a  blue  shade ;  the  throat  and  neck  are  of 
the  samo  colour;  the  breast  and  belly  are  white,  with  a 
dash  of  red.  The  tail  is  forked,  and  consists  of  twelve 
feathers.  The  wings  are  of  the  same  colour  with  the  back. 
Swallows  feed  upon  flies,  worms,  and  insects;  and  gene- 
rally hunt  their  prey  on  the  wing. 


THE  BANK  SWALLOW. 

This  appears  (says  Mr.  Wilson)  to  be  the  most  sociable 
with  its  kind,  and  the  least  intimate  with  man,  of  all  our 
Swallows;  living  together  in  large  communities  of  some- 
times three  or  four  hundred.  On  the  high  sandy  bank  of 
a  river,  quarry,  or  gravel-pit,  at  a  foot  or  two  from  the  sur- 
face, they  commonly  scratch  out  holes  for  their  nests, 
running  them  in  a  horizontal  direction  to  the  depth  of  two 
and  sometimes  three  feet.  Several  of  these  holes  are  often 
within  a  few  inches  of  each  other,  and  extend  in  various 
strata  along  the  front  of  the  precipice,  sometimes  for  eighty 
Mr  one  hundred  j'^ards.     At  the  extremity  of  this  hole,  a 


48  THE     BALTIMORE     ORIOLE. 

little  fine,  dry  grass,  with  a  few  large,  downy  feathers,  form 
the  bed  on  which  their  eggs,  generally  five  in  number,  and 
pure  white,  are  deposited. 

The  young  are  hatched  late  in  May ;  and  here  I  have 
taken  notice  of  the  common  crow^  in  parties  of  four  or 
five,  watching  at  the  entrance  of  these  holes,  to  seize  the 
first  straggling  young  that  should  make  its  appearance. 
From  the  clouds  of  Swallows  that  usually  play  round  these 
breeding-places,  they  remind  one  at  a  distance  of  a  swarm 
of  bees. 

The  Bank  Swallow  arrives  here  earlier  than  either  of  the 
preceding;  begins  to  build  in  April,  and  has  commonly  two 
broods  in  the  season.  Their  voice  is  a  low  mutter.  They 
are  particularly  fond  of  the  shores  of  rivers,  and,  in  several 
places  along  the  Ohio,  they  congregate  in  immense  multi- 
tudes. 


BALTIMORE  ORIOLE.     (^Oriolus  Baltimore.') 

This  is  a  bird  of  passage,  arriving  in  Pennsylvania,  from 
the  south,  about  the  beginning  of  May,  and  departing 
towards  the  latter  end  of  August,  or  beginning  of  September. 
During  migration,  the  flight  of  the  Baltimore  is  high  above 
all  the  trees,  and  is  straight  and  continuous ;  it  is  mostly 
performed  during  the  day,  as  they  are  usually  observed 
alighting,  always  smgly,  about  the  setting  of  the  sun,  utter- 


THE     BALTIMORE     ORIOLE.  49 

ing  a  note  or  two,  and  darting  into  the  lower  branches  to 
feed,  and  afterwards  to  rest. 

From  the  singularity  of  its  colours,  the  construction  of 
its  nest,  and  its  preferring  the  apple-trees,  weeping  willowy, 
walnut  and  tulip-trees,  adjoining  the  farm-house,  to  build 
on,  it  is  generally  known,  and,  as  usual,  honoured  with  a 
variety  of  names,  such  as  Hang-nest,  Hanging-Bird,  Golden 
Robin,  Fire-Bird  (from  the  bright  orange  seen  through  the 
green  leaves,  resembling  a  flash  of  fire),  &c.,  but  more 
generally  the  Baltimore  Bird,  so  named,  as  Catesby  informs 
us,  from  its  colours,  which  are  black  and  orange,  being 
those  of' the  arms  or  livery  of  Lord  Baltimore,  formerly 
proprietary  of  Maryland. 

Their  principal  food  consists  of  caterpillars,  beetles,  and 
bugs,  particularly  one  of  a  brilliant  glossy  green,  fragments 
of  which  are  almost  always  found  in  their  stomach,  and 
sometimes  these  only. 

The  Baltimore  inhabits  North  America  from  Canada  to 
Mexico,  and  is  even  found  as  far  south  as  Brazil. 

ILLUSXRAXIVE    ANECDOTES. 

There  is  nothing  more  remarkable  (says  Mr.  Nuttall)  in 
the  whole  instinct  of  our  Golden  Robin,  than  the  ingenuity 
displayed  in  the  fabrication  of  its  nest,  which  is,  in  fact,  a 
pendulous  cylindric  pouch  of  five  to  seven  inches  in  depth, 
usually  suspended  from  near  the  extremities  of  the  high, 


■^  THE    BALTIMORE     ORIOLE. 

drooping  branches  of  trees  (such  as  the  elm,  the  pear,  or 
apple-tree,  wild  cherry,  weeping  willow,  tulip-tree,  or  but- 
tonwood).  It  is  begun  by  firmly  fastening  natural  strings 
of  the  flax  of  the  silk  weed,  or  swamp-hollyhock,  or  stout 
artificial  threads,  round  two  or  more  forked  twigs,  corres- 
ponding to  the  intended  width  and  depth  of  the  nest.  With 
the  same  materials,  willow  down,  or  any  accidental  ravel- 
lings,  strings,  thread,  sewing-silk,  tow,  or  wool,  that  may  be 
lying  near  the  neighbouring  houses,  or  round  the  grafts  of 
trees,  they  interweave  and  fabricate  a  sort  of  coarse  cloth 
into  the  form  intended ;  towards  the  bottom  of  which  they 
place  the  real  nest,  made  chiefly  of  lint,  wiry  grass,  horse 
and  cow  hair,  sometimes,  in  defect  of  hair,  lining  the  inte- 
rior with  a  mixture  of  slender  strips  of  smooth  vine  bark, 
and  rarely  with  a  few  feathers,  the  whole  being  of  a  consi- 
derable thickness,  and  more  or  less  attached  to  the  external 
pouch.  Over  the  top,  the  leaves,  as  they  grow  out,  form  a 
verdant  and  agreeable  canopy,  defending  the  young  from  the 
sun  and  rain.  There  is  sometimes  a  considerable  difierenco 
in  the  manufacture  of  these  nests,  as  well  as  in  the  materials 
which  enter  into  their  composition.  Both  sexes  seem  to  be 
equally  adepts  at  this  sort  of  labour,  and  I  have  seen  the 
female  alone  perform  the  whole  without  any  assistance,  and 
the  male  also  complete -this  laborious  task  nearly  without 
the  aid  of  his  consort;  who,  however,  in  general,  is  the 
principal  worker.  I  have  observed  a  nest  made  almost 
ffhoUy  of  tow,  which  was  laid  out  for  the  convenience  of  a 


Ht 


THE     BALTIMORE    ORIOLE.  61 

male  bird :  who,  with  this  aid,  completed  his  labour  in  a  very 
fihort  time,  and  frequently  sung  in  a  very  ludicrous  manner, 
while  his  mouth  was  loaded  with  a  mass  larger  than  his 
head.  So  eager  are  they  to  obtain  fibrous  materials,  that 
they  will  readily  tug  at,  and  even  untie  hard  knots  made  of 
tow.  In  Audubon's  magnificent  plates,  a  nest  is  represented 
as  f.:/med  outwardly  of  the  long-moss ;  where  this  abounds, 
cf  course,  the  labour  of  obtaining  materials  must  be  greatly 
abridged.  The  author  likewise  remarks,  that  the  whole 
fabric  consists  almost  entirely  of  this  material,  loosely  inter- 
woven, without  any  warm  lining,  a  labour  which  our  inge- 
nious artist  seems  aware  would  be  superfluous  in  the  warm 
forests  of  the  lower  Mississippi.  A  female,  which  I  observed 
attentively,  carried  ofi"  to  her  nest  a  piece  of  lamp-wick  tea 
or  twelve  feet  long.  This  long  string,  and  many  other 
shorter  ones,  were  left  hanging  out  for  about  a  week  before 
both  the  ends  were  wattled  into  the  sides  of  the  nest.  Some 
other  little  birds,  making  use  of  similar  materials,  at  times 
twitched  these  flowing  ends,  and  generally  brought  out  the 
busy  Baltimore  from  her  occupation  in  great  anger. 

The  haste  and  eagerness  of  one  of  these  airy  architects, 
which  I  accidentally  observed  on  the  banks  of  the  Susque- 
hanna, appeared  likely  to  prove  fatal  to  a  busy  female,  who, 
in  weaving,  got  a  loop  round  her  neck,  and  no  sooner  was 
she  disengaged  from  this  snare,  than  it  was  slipped  round 
her  feet,  and  thus  held  her  fast  beyond  the  power  of  escape'. 
The  male  came  frequently  to  the  scene,  now  changed  from 


62  T  H  E     R  0  B  I  N. 

that  of  joy  and  hope  into  despair,  but  seemed  wholly  inca^ 
pable  of  comprehending  or  relieving  the  distress  of  his  mat« 
In  a  second  instance,  I  have  been  told  that  a  female  haa 
been  observed  dead  in  the  like  predicament. 


THE  KOBIN".     (Turdus  migratorius.') 

This  well-known  bird,  being  familiar  to  almost  every- 
body, will  require  but  a  short  description.  It  measures 
nine  inches  and  a  half  in  length ;  the  bill  is  strong,  an  inch 
long,  and  of  a  full  yellow,  though  sometimes  black,  or 
dusky  near  the  tip  of  the  upper  mandible ;  the  head,  back 
of  the  neck,  and  tail,  is  black ;  the  back  and  rump,  an  ash 
colour;  the  wings  are  black,  edged  with  light  ash;  the 
inner  tips  of  the  two  exterior  tail-feathers  are  white ;  three 
small  spots  of  whit«  border  the  eye ;  the  throat  and  upper 
part  of  the  breast  is  black,  the  former  streaked  with  white; 
the  whole  of  the  rest  of  the  bi-east,  down  as  far  as  the 
thighs,  is  of  a  dark  orange ;  belly  and  vent,  white,  slightly 
waved  with  dusky  ash ;  legs,  dark  brown ;  claws,  black  and 
Btrong.  The  colours  of  the  female  are  more  of  the  light 
ash,  less  deepened  with  black ;  and  the  orange  on  the  breast 
IS  much  paler,  and  more  broadly  skirted  with  white. 

The  name  of  this  bird  bespeaks  him  a  bird  of  passage,  as 


THEROBIN.  68 

are  all  the  different  species  of  thrushes  we  have ;  but  the 
one  we  are  now  describing,  being  more  unsettled,  and  con- 
tinually roving  about  from  one  region  to  another,  during 
fall  and  winter,  seems  particularly  entitled  to  the  appella- 
tion. Scarce  a  winter  passes  but  innumerable  thousands  of 
them  are  seen  in  the  lower  parts  of  the  whole  Atlantic 
stales,  from  New  Hampshire  to  Carolina,  particularly  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  our  towns ;  and,  from  the  circum- 
stance of  their  leaving,  during  that  season,  the  country  to 
the  north-west  of  the  great  range  of  the  Alleghany,  from 
Maryland  northward,  it  would  appear  that  they  not  only 
migrate  from  north  to  south,  but  from  west  to  east,  to  avoid 
the  deep  snows  that  generally  prevail  on  these  high  regions 
for  at  least  four  months  in  the  year. 

The  Robin  builds  a  large  nest,  often  on  an  apple-tree, 
plasters  it  in  the  inside  with  mud,  and  lines  it  with  hay  or 
fine  grass.  The  female  lays  five  eggs,  of  a  beautiful  sea- 
green.  Their  principal  food  is  berries,  worms,  and  cater- 
pillars. Of  the  first  he  prefers  those  of  the  sour  gum. 
So  fond  are  they  of  gum-berries,  that,  wherever  there 
is  one  of  these  trees  covered  with  fruit,  and  flocks  of 
Robins  in  the  neighbourhood,  the  sportsman  need  only 
take  his  stand  near  it,  load,  take  aim,  and  fire ;  one  flock 
succeeding  another,  with  little  interruption,  almost  the 
whole  day :  by  this  method,  prodigious  slaughter  has  been 
made  among  them  with  little  fatigue.  "When  berries  fail, 
they  disperse  themselves   over  the  fields,  and   along   the 


64  THEROBIN. 

fences,  in  search  of  worms  and  other  insects.  Sometimes 
they  will  disappear  for  a  week  or  two,  and  return  again  in 
greater  numbers  than  before ;  at  which  time  the  cities  pour 
out  their  sportsmen  by  scores,  and  the  markets  arc  plenti- 
fully supplied  with  them  at  a  cheap  rate. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

In  January,  1807,  two  young  men,  in  one  excursion,  shot 
thirty  dozen  Robins.  In  the  midst  of  such  devastation, 
which  continued  many  weeks,  and,  by  accounts,  extended 
from  Massachusetts  to  Maryland,  some  humane  person  took 
advantage  of  a  circumstance  common  to  these  birds  in 
winter,  to  stop  the  general  slaughter.  The  fruit  called 
poke-berries  is  a  favourite  repast  with  the  Robin,  after 
they  are  mellowed  by  the  frost.  The  juice  of  the  berries 
is  of  a  beautiful  crimson,  and  they  are  eaten  in  such  quanti- 
ties by  these  birds,  that  their  whole  stomachs  are  strongly 
tinged  with  the  same  red  colour. 

A  paragraph  appeared  in  the  public  news  papers,  inti- 
mating, that,  from  the  great  quantities  of  these  berries 
which  the  Robins  had  fed  on,  they  had  become  unwhole- 
some, and  even  dangerous  food ;  and  that  several  persona 
had  suflFered  by  eating  of  them.  The  strange  appearance  of 
the  bowels  of  the  birds  seemed  to  corroborate  this  account 
The  demand  for,  and  use  of  them,  ceased  almost  instantly ; 


THE     NIGHTINGALE.  fi5 

and  motives  of  self-preservation  produced  at  once  what  all 
the  pleadings  of  humanity  could  not  effect. 

When  fat,  they  are  in  considerable  esteem  for  the  table, 
and  probably  not  inferior  to  the  Turdi  of  the  ancients, 
which  they  besiiwed  so  much  pains  on  in  feeding  and  fat- 
tening. The  young  birds  are  frequently  and  easily  raised, 
bear  the  confinement  of  the  cage,  feed  on  bread,  fruits,  <fec., 
sing  well,  readily  learn  to  imitate  parts  of  tunes,  and  are 
very  pleasant  and  cheerful  domestics.  In  these  I  have 
always  observed  (says  Wilson)  that  the  orange  on  the  breast 
is  of  a  much  deeper  tint,  often  a  dark  mahogany  or  chestnut 
colour  owing,  no  doubt,  to  their  food  and  confinement. 


THE  NIGHTINGALE.     {Sylvia  luscinia.) 

All  the  birds  we  have  hitherto  described  are  American. 
We  now  come  to  a  bird  of  the  Old  World,,  celebrated  by  the 
poets  of  all  ages.  It  is  thus  described  by  an  English 
writer : — 

The  Nightingale  has  little  to  boast,  if  we  consider  its 
plumage,  which  is  of  a  pale  tawny  colour  on  the  head  and 
back,  dashed  with  a  little  shade  of  olive;  the  breast  and 
upper  part  of  the  belly  incline  to  a  grayish  tint,  and  the 
bwer  part  of  the  belly  is  almost  white ;  the  exterior  web 


56  THE     NIGHTINGALE. 

of  the  quill-feathers  is  of  a  reddish  brown ;  the  tail  of  a 
dull  red ;  the  legs  and  feet  ash-coloured ;  the  irides  hazel  j 
and  the  eyes  large,  bright,  and  staring.  It  is  hardly  pos- 
sible to  give  an  idea  of  the  extraordinary  power  which  this 
small  bird  possesses  in  its  throat,  as  to  extension  of  sound, 
sweetness  of  tone,  and  versatility  of  notes.  Its  song  is 
composed  of  several  musical  passages,  each  of  which  does 
not  continue  more  than  the  third  part  of  a  minute ;  but 
they  are  so  varied,  the  passing  from  one  tone  to  another  is 
so  fanciful  and  so  rapid,  and  the  melody  so  sweet  and  so 
mellow,  that  the  most  consummate  musician  is  pleasingly 
led  to  a  deep  sense  of  admiration  at  hearing  it.  Sometimes 
joyful  and  merry,  it  runs  down  the  diapason  with  the 
velocity  of  lightning,  touching  the  treble  and  the  bass  nearly 
at  the  same  instant ;  at  other  times,  mournful  and  plaintive, 
the  unfortunate  Philomela  draws  heavily  her  lengthened 
notes,  and  breathes  a  delightful  melancholy  around.  These 
have  the  appearance  of  sorrowful  sighs ;  the  other  modula- 
tions resemble  the  laughter  of  the  happy.  Solitary  on  the 
twig  of  a  small  tree,  and  cautiously  at  a  certain  distance 
from  the  nest,  where  the  pledges  of  his  love  are  treasured 
under  the  fostering  breast  of  his  mate,  the  male  fills  con- 
stantly the  silent  woods  with  his  harmonious  strains ;  and 
during  the  whole  night  entertains  and  repays  his  female  for 
the  irksome  duties  of  incubation.  For  the  Nightingale  not 
only  sings  at  intervals  during  the  day,  but  he  waits  till  the 
blackbird  and  the  thrush  have  uttered  their  evening  call. 


THE     NIGHTINGALE.  Ol 

even  till  the  stock  and  ring  doves  have,  by  their  soft  muT' 
mnrings,  lulled  each  other  to  rest,  and  then  he  pours  forth 
his  full  tide  of  melody. 

Listening  Philomela  deigns 

To  let  them  joy,  and  purposes,  in  thought 
Elate,  to  make  her  night  excel  their  day. 

Thohsoit. 

It  is  a  great  subject  of  astonishment  that  so  small  a  bird 
should  be  endowed  with  such  potent  lungs.  If  the  evening 
is  calm,  it  is  supposed  that  its  song  may  be  heard  above 
half  a  mile.  This  bird,  the  ornament  and  charm  of  the 
spring  and  early  summer  evenings,  as  it  arrives  in  April, 
and  continues  singing  till  June,  disappears  on  a  sudden 
about  September  or  October,  when  it  leaves  England  to  pass 
the  winter  in  the  North  of  Africa  and  Syria.  Its  visits  to 
England  are  limited  to  certain  counties,  mostly  in  the 
south  and  east;  as,  though  it  is  plentiful  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  London,  and  along  the  south  coast  in  Sussex,  Hampshire, 
and  Dorsetshire :  it  is  not  found  in  either  Cornwall  or 
Wales.  As  soon  as  the  young  are  hatched,  the  song  of  the 
male  bird  ceases,  and  he  only  utters  a  harsh  croak,  by  way 
of  giving  alarm  when  any  one  approaches  the  nest.  Night- 
ingales are  sometimes  reared  up,  and  doomed  to  the  prison 
of  a  cage ;  in  this  state  they  sing  ten  months  in  the  year, 
though  in  their  wild  life  they  sing  only  as  many  weeks. 
Bingley  says  that  a  cf>ged  Nightingale  sings  much  more 
iweetly  than  those  which  we  ^lear  abroad  in  the  spring. 
4 


58  THE    RED- WINGED     BLACKBIRD. 

THE  RED-WIXGED  BLACKBIRD,  OR  TROOPIAL 

(^Stu)'nus  predatoriusS) 

This  bird  is  common  in  all  parts  of  North  America.  He 
is  nine  inches  in  length  and  fourteen  in  extent.  The  gene- 
ral colour  is  glossy  black,  with  a  very  splendid  scarlet 
marking,  like  a  broad  epaulette,  on  his  shoulders.  His 
habits  will  be  learned  from  the  following 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

Mr.  Wilson  calls  this  bird  the  Red-winged  Starling,  and 
gives  us  from  his  own  observation  the  following  curious 
particulars  of  his  winter  habits  : — 

The  Red-winged  Starlings,  though  generally  migratory 
in  the  states  north  of  Maryland,  are  found  during  winter  in 
immense  flocks,  sometimes  associated  with  the  purple  grA- 
kles,  and  often  by  themselves,  along  the  whole  lower  part* 
of  Virginia,  both  Carolinas,  Georgia,  and  Louisiana,  pai^ 
ticularly  near  the  sea-coast,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  large  rlc« 
and  corn-fields. 

In  the  months  of  January  and  February,  while  passing 
through  the  former  of  these  countries,  I  was  frequently 
entertained  with  the  aerial  evolutions  of  these  great  bodica 
of  Starlings.  Sometimes  they  appeared  driving  about  like 
an  enormous  black  cloud  carried  before  the  wind,  varying 
•ta  shape  every  moment;  sometimes  suddenly  rising  from 


THE     RED-WINGED     BLACKBIRD.  69 

the  fields  around  me  with  a  noise  like  thunder;  while  the 
glittering  of  innumerable  wings  of  the  brightest  Vermillion 
amid  the  black  cloud  they  formed,  produced  on  these  occa- 
sions a  very  striking  and  splendid  effect.  Then,  descending 
like  a  torrent,  and  covering  the  branches  of  some  detached 
grove,  or  clump  of  trees,  the  whole  congregated  multitude  com- 
menced one  general  concert  or  chorus,  that  I  have  plainly  dis- 
tinguished at  the  distance  of  more  than  two  miles,  and,  when 
listened  to  at  the  intermediate  space  of  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile,  with  a  slight  breeze  of  wind  to  swell  and  soften  the 
flow  of  its  cadences,  was  to  me  grand,  and  even  sublime. 

The  whole  season  of  winter,  that,  with  most  birds,  is 
passed  in  struggling  to  sustain  life  in  silent  melancholy,  is, 
with  the  Red-wings,  one  continued  carnival.  The  profuse 
gleanings  of  the  old  rice,  corn,  and  buckwheat-fields,  supply 
them  with  abundant  food,  at  once  ready  and  nutritious ;  and 
the  intermediate  time  is  spent  either  in  aerial  manoeuvres," 
or  in  grand  vocal  performances,  as  if  solicitous  to  supply^ 
the  absence  of  all  the  tuneful  summer  tribes,  and  to  cheer 
the  dejected  face  of  nature  with  their  whole  combined 
powers  of  harmony. 

From  the  same  excellent  authority  we  gather  the  follow- 
iDg  particulars  of  the  Troopial's  ravages  in  the  corn-fields  :— 

Before  the  beginning  of  September,  the  flocks  have  become 
numerous  and  formidable ;  and  the  young  ears  of  maize, 
or  Indian  corn,  being  then  in  th^r  soft,  succulent,  milky, 
state,  present  a  temptation  that  caunot  be  resisted.     Rein- 


60  THE    RED-WINGED     BLACKBIRD. 

forced  by  numerous  and  daily  flocks  from  all  parts  of  the 
interior,  they  pour  down  on  the  low  countries  in  prodigious 
multitudes.  Here  they  are  seen,  like  vast  clouds,  wheeling 
and  driving  over  the  meadows  and  devoted  com-fieiJs, 
darkening  the  air  with  their  numbers.  Then  commencea 
the  work  of  destruction  on  the  corn,  the  husks  of  which, 
though  composed  of  numerous  envelopments  of  closely- 
wraj)ped  leaves,  are  soon  completely  or  partially  torn  ofi^j 
while  from  all  quarters  myriads  continue  to  pour  down  like 
a  tempest,  blackening  half  an  acre  at  a  time ,  and,  if  not 
disturbed,  repeat  their  depredations,  till  little  remains  but 
the  cob  and  the  shrivelled  skins  of  the  grain ;  what  little  is 
left  of  the  tender  ear,  being  exposed  to  the  rains  and  weather, 
is  generally  much  injured. 

All  the  attacks  and  havoc  made  at  this  time  among  them 
with  the  gun,  and  by  the  hawks, — several  species  of  which 
are  their  constant  attendants, — has  little  effect  on  the 
remainder.  AVhen  the  hawks  make  a  sweep  among  them, 
they  suddenly  open  on  all  sides,  but  rarely  in  time  to  dis- 
appoint them  of  their  victims ;  and,  though  repeatedly  fired 
at,  with  mortal  efiect,  they  only  remove  from  one  field  to 
an  adjoining  one,  or  to  another  quarter  of  the  same  enclosure. 
From  dawn  to  nearly  sunset,  this  open  and  daiiug  devasta- 
tion is  carried  on,  under  the  eye  of  the  proprietor;  and  a 
farmer,  who  has  any  considerable  extent  of  com,  would 
require  half-a-dozen  men  at  least,  with  guns,  to  guard  it; 
»nd  even  then,  all  their  vigilance  and  activity  would  not 


THE     RED-WINQED     BLACKBIRD.  61 

prevent  a  good  tithe  of  it  from  becoming  the  prey  of  the 
Blackbirds.  The  Indians,  who  usually  plant  their  corn  in 
one  general  field,  keep  the  whole  young  boys  of  the  village 
all  Jay  patrolling  round  and  among  it;  and  each  being  fur-, 
nished  with  bow  and  arrows,  with  which  they  are  very 
expert,  they  generally  contrive  to  destroy  great  numbers  of 
them. 

It  must,  however,  be  observed,  that  this  scene  of  pillage 
is  principally  carried  on  in  the  low  countries,  not  far  from 
the  sea-coast,  or  near  the  extensive  flats  that  border  our 
large  rivers;  and  is  also  chiefly  confined  to  the  months 
of  August  and  September.  After  this  period,  the  corn 
having  acquired  its  hard,  shelly  coat;  and  the  seeds  of  the 
reeds  or  wild  oats,  with  a  profusion  of  other  plants,  that 
abound  along  the  river  shores,  being  now  ripe,  and  in  great 
abundance,  they  present  a  new  and  more  extensive  field  for 
these  marauding  multitudes.  The  reeds  also  supply  them 
with  convenient  roosting  places,  being  often  in  almost 
unapproachable  morasses;  and  thither  they  repair  every 
evening,  from  all  quarters  of  the  country. 

In  some  places,  however,  when  the  reeds  become  dry, 
advantage  is  taken  of  this  cii'cumstance,  to  destroy  these 
birds,  by  a  party  secretly  approaching  the  place,  under 
cover  of  a  dark  night,  setting  fire  to  the  reeds  in  several 
places  at  once,  which  being  soon  enveloped  in  one  general 
flame,  the  uproar  among  the  Blackbirds  becomes  universal ; 
and,  by  the  light  of  the  conflagration,  they  are  shot  down 


62  THE    SKYLARK. 

in  vast  numbers,  while  liovering  and  screaming  over  ill* 
place.  Sometimes  straw  is  used  for  the  same  purpose, 
being  previously  strewed  near  the  reeds  and  alder  bushes, 
where  they  are  known  to  roost,  which  being  instantly  set 
on  fire,  the  consternation  and  havoc  are  prodigious ;  and  the 
party  return  by  day  to  pick  up  the  slaughteied  game. 
About  the  first  of  November,  they  begin  to  move  off  towards 
the  south ;  though,  near  the  sea-coast,  in  the  states  of  New 
Jersey  and  Delaware  they  continue  long  after  that  period. 


THE  SKYLARK.     (Alauda  arvensis.') 

One  of  the  most  celebrated  of  all  the  English  birds  is  the 
Skylark.  His  music  being  associated  with  the  rural  em- 
ployments and  pleasures  of  that  enlightened  and  refined 
nation,  has  occasided  his  being  described  in  rapturous 
terms  by  their  poets  and  novelists. 

The  Skylark  is  generally  distinguished  from  most  other 
birds,  by  the  long  spur  on  his  back  toe,  the  earthy  colour 
of  his  feathers,  and  by  singing  as  he  mounts  up  in  the  air. 
The  common  Skylark  »s  not  much  bigger  than  the  house* 
sparrow.  These  birds  generally  make  their  nest  in  meadowa 
among  the  high  grass,  and  the  tint  of  their  plumage  resemble« 
BO  much  that  of  the  ground,  that  the  body  of  the  bird  if 
tardly  distinguishable  as  it  hops  along. 


THESKYLARK.       ""  63 

The  daisied  lea  he  loves,  where  tufts  of  grass 
Luxuriant  crown  the  ridge :  there,  with  his  mate, 
He  founds  their  lonely  house,  of  withered  herbs, 
And  coarsest  spear-grass ;  next  the  inner  work, 
With  ^ner,  and  still  finer  fibres  lays, 
Rounding  it  curious  with  his  speckled  breast. 

Grahame. 

Larks  breed  thrice  a  year,  in  May,  Jaly,  and  August, 
fearing  their  young  in  a  short  space  of  time. 

ILLUSTRATIVE   ANECDOTES 

The  instinctive  warmth  of  attachment  which  the  female 
Skylark  bears  towards  her  own  species,  even  when  not  hor 
nestling,  is  remarkable.  "In  the  month  of  May,"  saya 
BuflFon,  "  a  young  hen  bird  was  brought  to  me,  which  was 
not  able  to  feed  without  assistance.  I  caused  her  to  be 
reared ;  and  she  was  hardly  fledged,  when  I  received  from 
another  place,  a  nest  of  three  or  four  unfledged  larks.  She 
took  a  strong  liking  to  these  new  comers,  which  were  but 
little  younger  than  herself;  she  tended  them  night  and 
day,  cherished  them  beneath  her  wings,  and  fed  them  with 
her  bill.  Nothing  could  interrupt  her  tender  offices.  If 
the  young  ones  were  torn  from  her  she  flew  to  them  as  soon 
as  they  were  liberated,  and  would  not  think  of  effecting  her 
own  escape,  which  she  might  have  done  a  hundred  times, 
ller  afi^ection  gi'ew  upon  her;  she  neglected  food  and  drink; 
nhe  at  length  required  the  same  support  as  her  adopted 
jffspring,  and  expired  at  last,  consumed  with  maternal  soli' 


THE     CARDINAL     BIRD. 

citude.  None  of  the  young  ones  long  survived  her.  THy 
died  one  after  another ;  so  essential  were  hei  cares,  wHcl} 
were  equally  tender  and  judicious/' 

The  Lark  mounts  almost  perpendicularly,  and  by  succej»> 
sive  springs,  into  the  air ;  where  it  hovers  at  n,  vast  height 
Its  descent  is  in  an  oblique  direction,  unless  threatened  by 
Bome  ravenous  bird  of  prey,  or  attracted  by  its  wiate ;  when 
it  drops  to  the  ground  like  a  stone.  On  its  first  leaTing 
the  earth,  its  notes  are  feeble  and  interrupted;  but,  as  it 
rises,  these  gradually  swell  to  thoilfull  tone.  As  the  Lark's 
flight  is  always  at  sun-rise,  there  is  something  in  the  scenery 
that  renders  the  music  of  the  lark  peculiarly  delightful :  th^ 
opening  morning,  and  the  landscape  just  gilded  by  the  rayf 
of  the  returning  sun,  and  the  beauty  of  the  surrounding 
objects,  all  contribute  to  heighten  our  relish  for  its  pleasinj 
Bong. 


THE  CARDINAL  BIRD.    (Cardinalts  Virginianus.) 

This  is  one  of  our  most  common  cage  birds ;  and  is  very 
generally  known,  not  only  in  North  America,  but  even  in 
Europe,  numbers  of  them  having  been  carried  over  both  to 
France  and  England,  in  which  last  country  they  are  usually 
called  Virginia  Nightingales.  To  this  name,  Dr.  Latham 
observes,  "  they  are  fully  entitled,"  from  the  clearness  and 


THE      CARDINAL     BIRD.  65 

variety  of  their  notes,  which,  both  in  a  wild  and  domestia 
state,  are  very  various  and  musical :  many  of  them  resemble 
the  high  notes  of  a  fife,  and  are  nearly  as  loud.  They  are 
in  song  from  March  to  September,  beginning  at  the  first 
appearance  of  dawn,  and  repeating  a  favourite  stanza,  or 
passage,  twenty  or  thirty  times  successively;  sometimes, 
with  little  intermission,  for  a  whole  morning  together, 
which,  like  a  good  story  too  often  repeated,  becomes  at  length 
tiresome  and  insipid.  But  the  sprightly  figure  and  gaudy 
plumage  of  the  Red-Bird,  his  vivacity,  strength  of  voice,  and 
actual  variety  of  note,  and  the  little  expense  with  which 
he  is  kept,  will  always  make  him  a  favourite. 

The  Cardinal  Bird  is  eight  inches  long,  and  eleven 
in  extent.  The  whole  upper  parts  are  a  dusky  red,  except 
the  sides  of  the  neck  and  the  head,  which,  as  well  as 
all  the  lower  parts,  are  bright  vermilion,  and  chin  and  front 
black.  The  head  is  ornamented  with  a  pointed  crest,  which 
may  be  raised  or  lowered  at  pleasure.  The  beak  is  red, 
thick  and  strong.  The  female  is  smaller,  but  nearly  as 
brilliant  in  plumage,  and  sings  nearly  as  well  as  the  male. 

ILLUSTRATIVE  ANECDOTES. 

The  opinion  which  so  generally  prevails  in  England  (says 
Wilson)  that  the  music  of  the  groves  and  woods  of  America 
is  far  inferior  to  that  of  Europe,  I,  who  have  a  thousand 
times  listened  to  both,  cannot  admit  to  be  correct.  We 
cannot  with  fairness  draw  a  comparison  between  the  depth 


66  THE     CARDINAL     BIRD 

of  the  forest  in  America,  and  the  cultivated  fields  of  Eng- 
land; because  it  is  a  well-known  fact,  that  singing  birds 
seldom  frequent  the  former  in  any  country.  But  let 
the  latter  places  be  compared  with  the  like  situations  in 
the  United  States,  and  the  superiority  of  song,  I  am  fully 
persuaded,  would  justly  belong  to  the  western  continent. 
The  few  of  our  song  birds  that  have  visited  Europe  extort 
admiration  from  the  best  judges.  "The  notes  of  the  Car- 
dinal Grosbeak,"  says  Latham,  "are  almost  equal  to  those 
of  the  nightingale."  Yet  these  notes,  clear  and  excellent 
as  they  are,  are  far  inferior  to  those  of  the  wood  thrush, 
and  even  to  those  of  the  brown  thrush,  or  thrasher.  Our 
inimitable  mocking  bird  is  also  acknowledged,  by  them- 
selves, to  be  fully  equal  to  the  song  of  the  nightingale,  "  in 
its  whole  compass."  Yet  these  are  not  one  t<!nth  of  the 
number  of  our  singing  birds.  Could  these  people  be  trans- 
ported to  the  borders  of  our  woods  and  settlements,  in  the 
month  of  May,  about  half  an  hour  before  sunrise,  such  a 
ravishing  concert  would  greet  their  ear  as  they  have  no  con- 
ception of. 

The  males  of  the  Cardinal  Grosbeak,  when  confined 
together  in  a  cage,  fight  violently.  On  placing  a  looking- 
glass  before  the  cage,  the  gesticulations  of  the  tenant  are 
truly  laughable  :  yet  with  this  he  soon  becomes  so  well 
acquainted,  that,  in  a  short  time,  he  takes  no  notice  what- 
ever of  it ;  a  pretty  good  proof  that  he  has  discovered  the 
true  cause  of  the  appearance  to  proceed  from  himself.    The^ 


■,4-ji. 


THE     MOCKING     BIRD.  6t 

are  hardy  birds,  easily  kept,  sing  six  or  eight  months  in  the 
year,  and  are  most  lively  in  wet  weather.  They  are 
generally  known  by  the  names,  Red-Bird,  Virginia  Red- 
Bird,  Virginia  Nightingale,  and  Crested  Red-Bird,  to  distin- 
guish them  from  another  beautiful  species,  the  Scarlet 
Tanager. 

I  do  not  know  that  any  successful  attempts  have  been 
made  to  induce  these  birds  to  pair  and  breed  in  confinement , 
but  I  have  no  doubt  of  its  practicability,  by  proper  manage- 
ment. Some  months  ago,  I  placed  a  young,  unfledged 
cow-bird,  whose  mother,  like  the  cuckoo  of  Europe,  aban- 
dons her  eggs  and  progeny  to  the  mercy  and  management 
of  other  smaller  birds,  in  the  same  cage  with  a  Red-Bird, 
which  fed  and  reared  it  with  great  tei^derness.  They  both 
continue  to  inhabit  the  same  cage,  and  I  have  hopes  that 
the  Red-Bird  will  finish  his  pupil's  education  by  teaching 
him  his  song. 


THE  MOCKINa  BIRD.     {Mimm  Polyglottus.^ 

This  splendid  songster  is  not  remarkable  for  the  beauty 
of  his  plumage.  His  general  colour  is  ashy,  whitish  beneath, 
tips  of  the  wing-coverts  and  lateral  tail-feathers  white; 
general  form  slender  and  graceful ;  length  nine  inches  and 
a  half,  extent  thirteen  inches.    He  is  found  in  various  parts 


68  THE    MOCKING    BIRD. 

of  America,  from  the  Middle  States  to  Brazil.     His  food 
consists  of  insects,  berries,  and  worms. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

Mr.  Wilson,  an  enthusiastic  admirer  of  the  Mocking  Bird| 
thus  describes  his  song  : — 

The  Mocking  Bird  loses  little  of  the  power  and  energy 
of  his  song  by  confinement.  In  his  domesticated  state, 
when  he  commences  his  career  of  song,  it  is  impossible  to 
stand  by  uninterested.  He  whistles  for  the  dog, — Casax 
starts  up,  wags  his  tail,  and  runs  to  meet  his  master.  He 
squeaks  out  like  a  hurt  chicken, — and  the  hen  hurries 
about  with  hanging  wings,  and  bristled  feathers,  clucking 
to  protect  its  injured  brood.  The  barking  of  the  dog,  the 
mewing  of  the  cat,  the  creaking  of  a  passing  wheelbarrow, 
follow  with  great  truth  and  rapidity.  He  repeats  the  tune 
taught  him  by  his  master,  though  of  considerable  length, 
fully  and  faithfully.  He  runs  over  the  quiverings  of  the 
canary,  and  the  clear  whistlings  of  the  Virginia  nightin- 
gale, or  red-bird,  with  such  superior  execution  and  effect, 
that  the  mortified  songsters  feel  their  own  inferiority,  and 
become  altogether  silent ;  while  he  seems  to  triumph  in  iheir 
defeat  by  redoubling  his  exertions. 

Were  it  not  to  seem  invidious  in  the  eyes  of  foreigners,  I 
might,  in  this  place,  make  a  comparative  statement  between 
the  powers  of  the  Mocking  Bird,  and  the  only  bird,  I  believe, 
in  the  world,  worthy  of  being  compared  with  him, — the 


THE     MOCKING    BIKD.  t^ 

European  nightingale.  This,  however,  I  am  un&ble  to  do 
from  my  own  observation,  having  never  myself  heard  the 
gong  of  the  latter;  and,  even  if  I  had,  perhaps  something 
might  be  laid  to  the  score  of  partiality,  which,  as  a  fiiithful 
biographer,  I  am  anxious  to  avoid.  I  shall,  therefore, 
present  the  reader  with  the  opinion  of  a  distinguished  English 
naturalist  and  curious  observer,  on  this  subject,  the  Honour- 
able Daines  Barrington,  who,  at  the  time  he  made  the  com- 
munication, was  vice-president  of  the  Royal  Society,  to  which 
it  was  addressed. 

"  It  may  not  be  improper  here,"  says  this  gentleman,  "  to 
consider  whether  the  nightingale  may  not  have  a  very 
formidable  competitor  in  the  American  Mocking  Bird, 
though  almost  all  travellers  agree,  that  the  concert  in  the 
European  woods  is  superior  to  that  of  the  other  parts  of  the 
globe."  "I  have  happened, however,  to  hear  the  American 
Mocking  Bird,  in  great  perfection,  at  Messrs.  Vogels  and 
Scotts,  in  Love  Lane,  Eastcheap.  This  bird  is  believed  to 
be  still  living,  and  hath  been  in  England  these  six  years. 
During  the  space  of  a  minute,  he  imitated  the  woodlark, 
chaffinch,  blackbird,  thrush,  and  sparrow.  I  was  told  also 
that  he  would  bark  like  a  dog;  so  that  the  bird  seems  to 
have  no  choice  in  his  imitations,  though  his  pipe  comes 
nearest  to  our  nightingale  of  any  bird  I  have  yet  met  with. 

"  With  regard  to  the  original  notes,  however,  of  this  bird, 
we  are  still  at  a  loss,  as  this  can  only  be  known  by  those 
who  are  accurately  acquainted  with  the  song  of  the  other 


T8  THECROW. 

American  birds.  Kalm  indeed  informs  us,  that  the  natura* 
song  is  excellent;  but  this  traveller  seems  not  to  have 
been  long  enough  in  America  to  have  distinguished  what 
were  the  genuine  notes  :  with  us,  mimics  do  not  often  suc- 
ceed but  in  imitations.  I  have  little  doubt,  however,  but 
that  this  bird  would  be  fully  equal  to  the  song  of  the 
nightingale  in  its  whole  compass ;  but  then,  from  the  atten- 
tion which  the  Mocker  pays  to  any  other  sort  of  disagreeable 
noise,  these  capital  notes  would  be  always  debased  by  a  bad 
mixture.'' 


THE  CROW.     (Corvus  Coronc.) 

Mr.  Wilson  considers  our  American  Crow  identic** 
with  the  European  species.  It  is  eighteen  inches  and  a 
half  long,  and  three  feet  two  inches  in  extent;  the  colour 
shining  glossy  blue-black ;  bill  and  legs  black.  In  other 
particulars  it  agrees  with  the  European  Crow. 

He  is  the  most  generally  known  and  least  beloved  of  all 
our  land  birds;  having  (as  Mr.  Wilson  observes)  neither 
melody  of  song,  nor  beauty  oS  plumage,  nor  excellence  of 
flesh,  nor  civility  of  manners  to  recommend  him ;  on  the 
contrary,  he  is  branded  as  a  thief  and  a  plunderer — a  kind 
of  black-coated  vagabond,  who  hovers  over  the  fields  of  thfl 
industrious,  fattening  on  their  labours,  and,  by  his  voracitj; 


THE    CROW.  n. 

<)ften  blasting  their  expectations.  Hated  as  he  is  by  the 
farmer,  watched  and  persecuted  by  almost  every  bearer  of  a 
gun,  who  all  triumph  in  his  destruction,  had  not  Heaven 
bestowed  on  him  intelligence  and  sagacity  far  beyond  com> 
mon,  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  the  whole  tribe  (in 
these  parts  at  least)  would  long  ago  have  ceased  to  exist. 

It  is  in  the  month  of  May,  and  until  the  middle  of  June, 
that  the  Crow  is  most  destructive  to  the  corn-fields,  digging 
up  the  newly  planted  grains  of  maize,  pulling  up  by  the 
roots  those  that  have  begun  to  vegetate,  and  thus  frequently 
obliging  the  farmer  to  replant,  or  lose  the  benefit  of  the 
soil ;  and  .this  sometimes  twice,  and  even  three  times,  occa- 
sioning a  considerable  additional  expense,  and  inequality 
of  harvest.  No  mercy  is  now  shown  him.  The  myriads  of 
worms,  moles,  mice,  caterpillars,  grubs,  and  beetles,  which 
he  has  destroyed,  are  altogether  overlooked  on  these  occa- 
sions. Detected  in  robbing  the  hens'  nests,  pulling  up  the 
corn,  and  killing  the  young  chickens,  he  is  considered  as 
an  outlaw,  and  sentenced  to  destruction.  But  the  great 
difficulty  is,  how  to  put  this  sentence  in  execution.  In 
vain  the  gunner  skulks  along  the  hedges  and  fences;  his 
faithful  sentinels,  planted  on  some  commanding  point,  rais« 
the  alarm,  and  disappoint  vengeance  of  its  object.  Th« 
coast  again  clear,  he  returns  once  more  in  silence,  to  finish 
the  repast  he  had  begun.  Sometimes  he  approaches  thff 
farm-house  by  stealth,  in  search  of  young  chickens,  which 
i)0  is  in  the  habit  of  snatching  off,  when  he  can  elude  Utf 


72  T  H  B     C  R  0  W. 

vigilance  of  the  mother  hen,  who  often  proves  too  formida- 
ble for  him. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

A  few  days  ago  (says  Sir.  Wilson),  a  Crow  was  observed 
eagerly  attempting  to  seize  some  young  chickens  in  an 
orchard,  near  the  room  where  I  write ;  but  these  clustering 
close  round  the  hen,  she  resolutely  defended  them,  drove 
the  Crow  into  an  apple-tree,  whither  she  instantly  pursued 
him  with  such  spirit  and  intrepidity,  that  he  \fvs  glad  to 
make  a  speedy  retreat,  and  abandon  his  design. 

The  Crow  himself  sometimes  falls  a  prey  to  the  superior 
strength  and  rapacity  of  the  great  owl,  whose  weapons  of 
offence  are  by  far  the  more  formidable  of  the  two. 

"A  few  years  ago,"  says  a  correspondent  of  Mr.  Wilson, 
"I  resided  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson,  about  seven  miles 
from  the  city  of  New  York.  Not  far  from  the  place  of  my 
residence  was  a  pretty  thick  wood  or  swamp,  in  which  great 
numbers  of  Crows,  who  used  to  cross  the  river  from  the 
opposite  shore,  were  accustomed  to  roost.  Returning  home- 
ward one  afternoon,  from  a  shooting  excursion,  I  had  occa- 
sion to  pass  through  this  swamp.  It  was  near  sunset,  and 
troops  of  Crows  were  flying  in  all  directions  over  my  head. 
While  engaged  in  observing  their  flight,  and  endeavouring 
to  select  from  among  them  an  object  to  shoot  at,  my  ears 
were  suddenly  assailed  by  the  distressful  cries  of  a  Crow, 
who  was  evidently  struggling  under  the  talons  of  a  mei'ci- 


THE     CROW.  73 

less  and  rapacious  enemy.  I  hastened  to  the  spot  whence 
the  sounds  proceeded,  and,  to  my  great  surprise,  found  a 
Crow  lying  on  the  ground,  just  expiring,  and,  seated  upon 
the  body  of  the  yet  warm  and  bleeding  quarry,  a  large 
brown  owl,  who  was  beginning  to  make  a  meal  of  the  unfor- 
tunate robber  of  corn-fields.  Perceiving  my  approach,  he 
forsook  his  prey  with  evident  reluctance,  and  flew  into  a 
tree  at  a  little  distance,  where  he  sat  watching  all  my 
movements,  alternately  regarding,  with  longing  eyes,  the 
victim  he  had  been  forced  to  leave,  and  darting  at  me  no 
very  friendly  looks,  that  seemed  to  reproach  me  for  having 
deprived  him  of  his  expected  regale. 

"  I  confess  that  the  scene  before  me  was  altogether  novel 
and  surprising.  I  am  but  little  conversant  with  natural 
history ;  but  I  had  always  understood,  that  the  depredations 
of  the  owl  were  confined  to  the  smaller  birds,  and  animals 
of  the  lesser  kind,  such  as  mice,  young  rabbits,  &c.,  and 
that  he  obtained  his  prey  rather  by  fraud  and  stratagem, 
than  by  open  rapacity  and  violence.  I  was  the  more  con- 
firmed in  this  belief,  from  the  recollection  of  a  passage  in 
Macbeth,  which  now  forcibly  recurred  to  my  memory.  The 
courtiers  of  King  Duncan  are  recounting  to  each  other  the 
rarious  prodigies  that  preceded  his  death,  and  one  ci  them 
relates  to  his  wondering  auditors,  that 


5 


An  eagle,  towering  in  liis  pride  of  place, 
"Was  by  a  mousing  owl  hawked  at  and  killed. 


74  T  H  E    W  H  I  P-P  0  0  R-W  ILL. 

But  to  resume  my  relation  :  That  the  owl  was  the  mt» 
derer  of  the  unfortunate  Crow,  there  could  be  no  doubt. 
No  other  bird  of  prey  was  in  sight ;  I  had  not  fired  my  gun 
since  I  entered  the  wood ;  nor  heard  any  one  else  shoot : 
besides,  the  unequivocal  situation  in  which  I  found  the 
parties,  would  have  been  sufficient,  before  any  '  twelve  good 
men  and  true,'  or  a  jury  of  Crows,  to  have  convicted  hira 
of  his  guilt.  It  is  proper  to  add,  that  I  avenged  the  death 
of  the  hapless  Crow,  by  a  well-aimed  shot  at  the  felonious 
robber,  that  extended  him  breathless  on  the  ground." 


THE  WHIP-POOR-WILL.     {Caprimulgm  vociferm.) 

This  celebrated  bird  is  common  in  various  parts  of  the 
United  States.  Its  name  is  derived  from  its  notes,  which 
seem  pretty  plainly  to  articulate  the  words  whip-poor-will, 
the  first  and  last  syllable  being  uttered  with  great  emphasis, 
and  the  whole  in  about  a  second  to  each  repetition.  It  haa 
been  sometimes  confounded  with  the  two  other  species  of 
the  genus,  the  church-will's-widow  and  the  night-hawk. 
Mr.  Wilson,  however,  has  settled  the  question,  by  examin- 
ing and  accurately  describing  the  different  species.  The 
'W'hip-poor-will  is  nine  inches  long  and  nineteen  in  extent  j 
the  bill  is  blackish,  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long,  much  strocgei 


THE     WHIP-POOR-WILL.  75 

than  that  of  the  night-hawk,  and  bent  at  the  point.  The 
mouth  is  very  large,  and  beset  on  the  sides  with  long 
elastic  bristles,  which  serve  as  feelers  and  prevent  the 
escape  of  the  winged  insects  on  which  it  feeds.  Our 
engraving  shows  its  figure  in  flight,  and  its  curious  markings. 
The  Whip-poor-will  is  never  seen  during  the  day,  unless 
in  circumstances  such  as  have  been  described.  Their  food 
appears  to  be  large  moths,  grasshoppers,  pismires,  and  such 
insects  as  frequent  the  bark  of  old  rotten  and  decaying  tim- 
ber. They  are  also  expert  in  darting  after  winged  insects. 
They  will  sometimes  skim  in  the  dust,  within  a  few  feet  of 
a  person,  uttering  a  kind  of  low  chatter  as  they  pass.  In 
their  migrations  north,  and  on  their  return,  they  probably 
stop  a  day  or  two  at  some  of  their  former  stages,  and  do 
not  advance  in  one  continued  flight. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTE. 

The  following  little  incident,  narrated  by  Mr.  Wilson, 
illustrates  at  once  a  trait  in  the  character  of  the  bird,  and 
th^entle  and  humane  disposition  of  the  naturalist : — 

In  traversing  the  woods  one  day  in  the  early  part  of 
Tune,  along  the  brow  of  a  rocky  declivity,  a  Whip-poor- 
will  rose  from  my  feet,  and  fluttered  along,  sometimes 
prostrating  herself,  and  beating  the  ground  with  her  wings, 
as  if  just  expiring.  Aware  of  her  purpose,  I  stood  still, 
uid  began  to  examine  the  space  immediately  around  me  for 


76  THECUCKOO. 

the  egga  or  young,  one  or  other  of  •which  I  was  certain 
must  be  near.  After  a  long  search,  to  my  mortification,  I 
could  find  neither;  and  was  just  going  to  abandon  the  spot, 
when  I  perceived  somewhat  like  a  slight  mouldiness  among 
the  withered  leaves,  and,  on  stooping  down,  discovered  it 
to  be  a  young  Whip-poor-will,  seemingly  asleep,  as  its  eye- 
lids were  nearly  closed ;  or  perhaps  this  might  only  be  to 
protect  its  tender  eyes  from  the  glare  of  day.  I  sat  down 
by  it  on  the  leaves,  and  drew  it  as  it  then  appeared.  It 
was  probably  not  a  week  old.  All  the  while  I  was  thus 
engaged,  it  neither  moved  its  body,  nor  opened  its  eyes 
more  than  half;  and  I  left  it  as  I  found  it.  After  I  had 
walked  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  spot,  recollecting 
that  I  had  left  a  pencil  behind,  I  returned  and  found  m^ 
pencil,  but  the  young  bird  was  gone. 


THE  CUCKOO.     {Cuculus  canorm.) 

The  third  order  of  birds,  Scansores,  or  Climbers,  includes 
some  species  which  are  very  interesting.  Of  these  we  will 
first  notice  the  English  Cuckoo.  She  is  twelve  inches  in 
length  from  the  tip  of  the  bill  to  the  end  of  the  tail ;  yel- 
low breast,  with  transverse  lines;  head,  wings,  and  body 
marke*!  with  black  and  tawny  stripes,  legs  short  and  coveied 


THE     CUCKOO.  77 

vrith  feathers.  The  curious  pai-t  of  thia  bird's  history  i 
the  fact  that  tho  female  does  not  build  a  nest,  but  lays  her 
eggs  in  that  of  another  bird,  generally  the  sparrow. 

The  American  Cuckoo,  or  Cow-bird,  is  quite  different 
iu  its  habits  from  the  European  Cuckoo,  as  it  builds  a  nest 
for  its  eggs,  and  hatches  its  young  itself,  like  other  birds. 

On  the  18th  June,  1787,  Dr.  Jenner  examined  a  nest  of 
a  hedge-sparrow,  which  then  contained  a  Cuckoo's  -and  three 
hedge-sparrow's  eggs.  On  inspecting  it  the  day  following, 
the  bird  had  hatched ;  but  the  nest  then  contained  only  a 
young  Cuckoo  and  one  young  hedge-sparrow.  The  nest 
was  placed  so  near  the  extremity  of  a  hedge,  that  he  could 
distinctly  see  what  was  going  forward  in  it;  and,  to  his 
great  astonishment,  he  saw  the  young  Cuckoo,  though  so 
lately  hatched,  in  the  act  of  turning  out  the  young  hedge- 
sparrow. 

The  mode  of  accomplishing  this  was  curious :  the  little 
animal,  with  the  assistance  of  its  rump  and  wings,  contrived 
to  get  the  bird  upon  its  back,  and  making  a  lodgment  for 
its  burden  by  elevating  its  elbows,  climbed  backward  with 
it  up  the  side  of  the  nest,  till  it  reached  the  top ;  where, 
resting  for  a  moment,  it  threw  off  its  load  with  a  jerk,  and 
quite  disengaged  it  from  the  nest.  After  remaining  a  short 
time  in  this  situation,  and  feeling  about  with  the  extremities 
of  its  wings,  as  if  to  be  convinced  that  the  business  was  pro- 
perly executed,  it  dropped  into  the  nest  again. 

Dr.  J  enner  made  several  experimeuts  in  different  nestS| 


jn  THE     KINQFISHER. 

by  repeatedly  putting  in  an  egg  to  the  young  Cuckoo  j 
which  he  always  found  to  be  disposed  of  in  a  similar 
manner. 


THE  KINGFISHER.     (Alcedo  xspida.) 

This  bird  is  nearly  as  small  as  a  common  sparrow,  but 
the  head  and  beak  appear  proportionally  too  big  for  the 
body.  The  bright  blue  of  the  back  and  wings  claims  our 
admiration,  as  it  changes  into  deep  purple  or  lively  green, 
according  to  the  angles  of  light  under  which  the  bird  pre- 
sents itself  to  the  eye.  It  is  generally  seen  on  the  banks 
of  rivers,  for  the  purpose  of  seizing  small  fish,  on  which  it 
subsists,  and  which  it  takes  in  amazing  quantities,  by 
balancing  itself  at  a  distance  above  the  water  for  a  certain 
time,  and  then  darting  on  the  fish  with  unerring  aim.  It 
dives  perpendicularly  into  the  water,  where  it  continues 
several  seconds,  and  then  brings  up  the  fish,"  which  it  car- 
ries to  the  land,  beats  to  death,  and  afterwards  swallows. 
When  the  bird  cannot  find  a  projecting  bough,  it  sits  on 
some  stone  near  the  brink,  or  even  on  the  gravel ;  but  the 
moment  it  perceives  the  fish,  it  takes  a  spring  upwards  of 
twelve  or  fifteen  feet,  and  drops  from  that  height  upon  its 
prey. 


THETOUCAN".  79 


«' 


r    THE  GREEN  WOODPECKER,     {Picus  viridis,) 

Receives  his  namo  from  the  facility  with  which  he 
pecks  the  insects  from  the  chinks  of  trees  and  holes  in  the 
bark.  The  bill  is  straight,  strong,  and  angular  at  the  end ; 
and  in  most  of  the  species  is  formed  like  a  wedge,  for  the 
purpose  of  piercing  the  trees.  The  nostrils  are  covered 
with  bristles.  The  tongue  is  very  long,  slender,  cylindrical, 
bony,  hard,  and  jagged  at  the  end.  The  toes  are  placed 
two  forward  and  two  backward ;  and  the  tail  consists  of  ten 
hard,  stiflf,  and  sharp-pointed  feathers.  A  Woodpecker  is 
often  seen  hanging  by  his  claws,  and  resting  upon  his 
breast  against  the  stem  of  a  tree;  when,  after  darting,  with 
great  strength  and  noise,  his  beak  against  the  bark,  he  runs 
round  the  tree  with  great  alacrity,  which  manoeuvre  has 
made  the  country  people  suppose  that  he  goes  round  to  see 
whether  he  has  not  pierced  the  tree  through  its  trunk; 
though  the  fact  is,  the  bird  is  in  search  of  the  insects,  which 
he  hopes  to  have  driven  out  by  his  blow. 


THE  TOUCAN,     (Ramphastos  tucanus,) 

Is  a  native  of  South  America,  very  conspicuous  for  the 
magnitude  and  shape  of  his  bill.     It  is  about  the  size  of 


feO  THE     CAROLINA     PARROT. 

the  magpie,  but  thv^  beak  alone  is  nearly  as  big  as  the  rest 
of  the  body;  the  head  is  large  and  strong,  and  the  neck 
short,  in  order  the  more  easily  to  support  the  bulk  of  such 
a  beak.  The  head,  neck,  and  wings  are  black;  the  breast 
shines  with  a  most  lovely  saffron  colour,  with  a  certain  red- 
ness near  the  beginning ;  the  lower  part  of  the  body  and 
the  thighs  are  of  a  most  beautiful  vermilion;  the  tail  is 
black,  but  of  a  bright  red  at  the  end. 

One  of  these  birds  that  was  kept  in  a  cage  was  very  fond 
of  fruit,  which  it  held  for  8i»me  time  in  its  beak,  touching 
it  with  great  delight  with  the  tip  of  its  feathery  tongue,  and 
then  tossing  them  into  its  throat  by  a  sudden  upright  jerk; 
it  also  fed  on  birds  and  other  small  animals. 


CAROLINA  PARROT.     {Psittacus  CaroUnensis.) 

Op  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  kinds  of  Parrots  (says 
Wilson)  enumerated  by  writers  as  inhabiting  the  various 
regions  of  the  globe,  this  is  the  only  species  found  native 
within  the  territory  of  the  United  States.  Our  engraving 
shows  that  this  bird  has  a  far  more  elegant  form  than  the 
imported  parrots  which  we  see  in  cages.  It  is  thirteen 
inches  long  and  twenty-one  in  extent;  its  forehead  and 
cheeks  are  orange  red ;  beyond  this,  for  an  inch  and  a  half 


THE     CAROLINA     PARROT.  81 

down  and  round  the  neck,  a  rich  and  pure  yellow;  shoulder 
and  bend  of  the  wing,  also  edged  with  rich  cl^.nge  red.  The 
general  colour  of  the  rest  of  the  plumage  is  a  bright  yel- 
lowish, silky  green  with  light  blue  reflections ;  feet  a  pale 
flesh-colour;  bill  white,  inclining  to  cream-colour.  It  is 
found  in  the  Southern  and  Western  States. 

ILLUSTRATIVE   ANECDOTES. 

Mr.  Wilson  gives  the  following  very  lively  account  of  the 
captive  state  of  one  of  these  birds : — 

Anxious  to  try  the  effects  of  education  on  one  of  those 
which  I  had  procured  at  Big  Bone  Lick,  and  which  was 
but  slightly  wounded  in  the  wing,  I  fixed  up  a  place  for  it 
in  the  stern  of  my  boat,  and  presented  it  with  some  cockle 
burs,  which  it  freely  fed  on  in  less  than  an  hour  after  being 
on  board.  The  intermediate  time  between  eating  and 
sleeping  was  occupied  in  gnawing  the  sticks  that  formed  its 
place  of  confinement,  in  order  to  make  a  practicable  breach ; 
which  it  repeatedly  effected.  When  I  abandoned  the  river, 
and  travelled  by  land,  I  wrapped  it  up  closely  in  a  silk 
handkerchief,  tying  it  tightly  around,  and  carried  it  in  my 
pocket. 

When  I  stopped  for  refreshment,  I  unbound  my  prisoner, 
?,nd  gave  it  its  allowance,  which  it  generally  despatched 
with  great  dexterity,  unhusking  the  seeds  from  the  bur  in 
a  twinkling ;  in  doing  which,  it  always  employed  its  left 
foot  to  hold  the  bur,  as  did  several  others  that  I  kept  for 


82  THE     CAROLINA     PARROT. 

•  some  time.  I  began  to  think  that  this  might  be  peculiai 
to  the  whole  tribe,  and  that  the  whole  were,  if  I  may  use 
the  expression,  left-footed;  but,  by  shooting  a  number 
afterwards  while  engaged  in  eating  mulberries,  I  found 
sometimes  the  left,  sometimes  the  right,  foot  stained  with 
the  fruit,  the  other  always  clean ;  from  which,  and  the  con- 
stant practice  of  those  I  kept,  it  appears,  that,  like  '-he 
human  species  in  the  use  of  their  hands,  they  do  not  prefer 
one  or  the  other  indiscriminately,  but  are  either  left  or 
right-footed. 

But  to  return  to  my  prisoner :  In  recommitting  it  to 
''  durance  vile,"  we  generally  had  a  quarrel ;  during  which 
it  frequently  paid  me  in  kind  for  the  wound  I  had  inflicted, 
and  for  depriving  it  of  liberty,  by  cutting  and  almost  dis- 
abling several  of  my  fingers  with  its  sharp  and  powerful 
bill.  The  path  through  the  wilderness  between  Nashville 
and  Natchez  is  in  some  places  bad  beyond  description. 
There  are  dangerous  creeks  to  swim,  miles  of  morass  to 
struggle  through,  rendered  almost  as  gloomy  as  night  by  a 
prodigious  growth  of  timber,  and  an  underwood  of  canes 
and  other  evergreens ;  while  the  descent  into  these  sluggish 
streams  is  often  ten  or  fifteen  feet  perpendicular,  into  a  bed 
of  deep  clay.  In  some  of  the  worst  of  these  places,  where 
I  had,  as  it  were,  to  fight  my  way  through,  the  Paroquet 
frequently  escaped  from  my  pocket,  obliging  me  to  dis- 
mount and  pursue  it  through  the  worst  of  the  morass  before 
I  could  regain  it.     On  these  occasions,  I  was  several  times 


THE     CAROLINA     PARROT.  88 

tempted   to  abandon   it;   but  I  persisted  in  bringing  it 
along. 

'When  at  night  I  encamped  in  the  woods,  I  placed  it  os 
the  baggage  beside  me,  where  it  usually  sat  with  great  com 
posure,  dozing  and  gazing  at  the  fire  till  morning.  In  thii 
manner  I  carried  it  upwards  of  a  thousand  miles,  in  mj 
pocket,  where  it  was  exposed  all  day  to  the  jolting  of  th« 
horse,  but  regularly  liberated  at  meal-times  and  in  thf 
evening,  at  which  it  always  expressed  great  satisfaction 
In  passing  through  the  Chickasaw  and  Choctaw  nations, 
the  Indians,  wherever  I  stopped  to  feed,  collected  around 
me,  men,  women,  and  children,  laughing,  and  seeming 
wonderfully  amused  with  the  novelty  of  my  companion. 
The  Chickasaws  called  it  in  their  language  ^^  Kelinky ;'"' 
but  when  they  heard  me  call  it  Poll,  they  soon  repeated 
the  name ;  and  wherever  I  chanced  to  stop  among  these 
people,  we  soon  became  familiar  with  each  other  through 
the  medium  of  Poll. 

On  arriving  at  Mr.  Dunbar's,  below  Natchez,  I  procured 
a  cage,  and  placed  it  under  the  piazza,  where,  by  its  call,  it 
soon  attracted  the  passing  flocks ;  such  is  the  attachment 
they  have  for  each  other.  Numerous  parties  frequently 
alighted  on  the  trees  immediately  above,  keeping  up  a  con- 
stant conversation  with  the  prisoner.  One  of  these  I 
wounded  slightly  in  the  wing,  and  the  pleasure  Poll 
expressed  on  meeting  with  this  new  companion  was  really 
amusing.     She  crept  close  up  to  it  as  it  hung  on  the  side 


84  THE     CAROLINA     PARROT. 

of  the  cage ;  chattered  to  it  in  a  low  tone  of  voice,  as  if 
sympathizing  in  its  misfortune;  scratched  about  its  head 
and  neck  with  her  bill ',  and  both  at  night  nestled  as  close 
as  possible  to  each  other,  sometimes  Poll's  head  being 
thrust  among  the  plumage  of  the  other.  On  the  death  of 
this  companion,  she  appeared  restless  and  inconsolable  for 
several  days. 

On  reaching  New  Orleans,  I  placed  a  looking-glass  beside 
the  place  where  she  usually  sat,  and  the  instant  she  per- 
ceived her  image,  all  her  former  fondness  seemed  to  return, 
80  that  she  could  scarcely  absent  herself  from  it  a  moment. 
It  was  evident  that  she  was  completely  deceived.  Always 
when  evening  drew  on,  and  often  during  the  day,  she  laid 
her  head  close  to  that  of  the  image  in  the  glass,  and  began 
to  doze  with  great  composure  and  satisfaction.  In  this 
short  space  she  had  learned  to  know  her  name ;  to  answ^er, 
and  come  when  called  on ;  to  climb  up  my  clothes,  sit  on 
my  shoulder,  and  eat  from  my  mouth.  I  took  her  with  me 
to  sea,  determined  to  persevere  in  her  education;  but, 
destined  to  another  fate,  poor  Poll,  having  one  morning, 
about  day-break,  wrought  her  way  through  the  cage,  while 
I  was  asleep,  instantly  flew  overboard  and  perished  in  tho 
Gulf  of  Mexico. 


-stfe?.- 


THE     PEACOCK.  85 

THE  PEACOCK.     (Pavo  cristatus.) 

The  Gallinaceous  birds  (Easores)  form  the  fourth  order, 
Tfhich  includes  many  of  the  domestic  fowls,  and  others  use- 
ful to  man.  The  Peacock  is  the  most  celebrated  of  the 
order,  the  beauty  of  its  plumage  having  rendered  it  a 
favourite  in  all  ages  of  the  world ;  indeed,  there  is  scarcely 
anything  in  nature  that  can  vie  with  the  transcendent  lustre 
of  the  Peacock's  feathers.  The  changing  glory  of  his  neck 
eclipses  the  deep  azure  of  ultramarine ;  and  at  the  least 
evolution,  it  assumes  the  green  tint  of  the  emerald,  and  the 
purple  hue  of  the  amethyst.  His  head,  which  is  small  and 
finely  shaped,  has  several  curious  stripes  of  white  and  black 
round  the  eyes,  and  is  surmounted  by  an  elegant  plume,  or 
tuft  of  feathers,  each  of  which  is  composed  of  a  slender 
stem  and  a  small  tuft  at  the  top.  Displayed  with  conscious 
pride,  and  exposed  under  a  variety  of  angles  to  the  reflec- 
tions of  versatile  light,  the  broad  and  variegated  disks  of 
his  tail,  of  which  the  neck,  head,  and  breast  of  the  bird 
become  the  centre,  claims  our  well  merited  admiration.  By 
an  extraordinary  mixture  of  the  brightest  colours,  it  displays 
at  once  the  richness  of  gold,  and  the  paler  tints  of  silver^ 
fringed  with  bronz«-coloured  edges,  and  surrounding  eye- 
like  spots  of  dark  brown  and  sapphire.  The  female  does 
not  share  in  the  beauty  of  the  cock,  and  her  feathers  are 
generally  of  a  light  brown.  She  lays  only  a  few  eggs  at  a 
time,  and  these  at  a  distance  of  usually  three  or  four  days 


86  THE     TURKEY. 

from  each  other;  they  are  Tvhite  and  spotted,  like  the  eggs 
of  the  turkey.  She  sits  from  twenty-seven  to  thirty 
days. 

The  loud  screaming?  of  the  Peacock  are  worse  than  the 
harsh  croakings  of  the  raven,  and  a  sure  prognostic  of  bad 
weather ;  and  his  feet,  more  clumsy  than  those  of  the  turkey, 
make  a  sad  contrast  with  the  elegance  of  the  rest. 


THE  TURKEY,     {MeUagris  Gallo-Pavo,) 

Was  originally  an  inhabitant  of  America,  whence  he  was 
brought  to  Europe  by  some  Jesuit  missionaries,  which  ac- 
counts for  his  being  called  a  Jesuit  in  some  parts  of  continental 
Europe.  Except  the  tuft  on  the  head,  which  he  does  not 
share  with  the  peacock,  and  his  plumage,  which  is  very 
different  from  that  of  the  latter,  he  is  like  him  in  many  par- 
ticulars. The  general  colour  of  the  feathers  is  brown  and 
black ;  and  turkeys  have  about  the  head,  especially  the  cock, 
nak(jd  and  tuberous  lumps  of  flesh  of  a  bright  red  colour.  A 
long  fleshy  appendage  hangs  from  the  base  of  the  upper 
mandible,  and  seems  to  be  lengthened  and  shortened  at 
pleasure.  The  hen  lays  from  fifteen  to  twenty  eggs,  which 
are  whitish  and  freckled.  The  chickens  are  very  tender, 
and  require  great  care  and  attentive  nursing,  before  they 
are  able  to  seek  their  food. 


THE      PINTADO.  87 

The  wild  Turkey-cock  is,  in  our  American  forests,  an 
object  of  considerable  interest.  It  perches  on  the  tops  of  the 
deciduous  cypress  and  magnolias. 

ILLUSTRATIVE   ANFCDOTE. 

A  gentleman  of  New  York  received  from  a  distant  part  a 
Turkey-cock  and  hen,  and  with  them  a  pair  of  bantams; 
which  were  put  all  together  into  the  yard  with  his  other 
poultry.  Some  time  afterward,  as  he  was  feeding  them 
from  the  barn-door,  a  large  hawk  suddenly  turned  the  corner 
of  the  barn,  and  made  a  pounce  at  the  bantam  hen ;  she 
immediately  gave  the  alarm,  by  a  noise  which  is  natural  to 
her  on  such  occasions ;  when  the  Turkey-cock,  who  was  at 
the  distance  of  about  two  yards,  and  without  doubt  under- 
stood the  hawk's  intention,  flew  at  the  tyrant  with  such 
violence,  and  gave  him  so  severe  a  stroke  with  his  spurs, 
as  to  kni5ck  him  from  the  hen  to  a  considerable  distance ;  by 
which  means  the  bantam  was  rescued  from  destruction 


THE   PINTADO,  or  GUINEA  HEN.  *' 

(Numida  Meleagris.)  '^ 

■■¥ 

The  Pintado  is  somewhat  larger  than  the  common  hen ; 

the  head  is  bare  of  feathers,  and  covered  with  a  naked 


S9r  THEPINTAPO. 

skin  of  a  bluish  colour;  on  the  top  is  a  callous  protuT)eranci 
of  a  conical  form.  At  the  base  of  the  bill  on  each  side 
hangs  a  loose  wattle,  red  in  the  female  and  bluish  in  the 
malo.  The  general  colour  of  the  plumage  is  a  dark  bluish 
gray,  sprinkled  with  round  white  spots  of  different  sizes, 
resembling  pearls,  from  which  circumstance  the  epithet  of 
pearled  has  been  applied  to  this  bird;  which,  at  first  sight, 
appears  as  if  it  had  been  pelted  by  a  strong  shower  of  hail. 
These  spots,  which  we  find  of  a  larger  dimension  upon  some 
of  the  feathers  of  the  pheasant,  and  bigger  still  on  the  tail 
of  the  peacock,  are  convincing  proofs  of  a  near  rtlationship 
between  these  fowls. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTE. 

M.  Brue  informs  us,  that  when  he  was  on  the  coast  of 
Senegal,  he  received,  as  a  present  from  an  African  princess, 
two  Guinea  fowls.  Both  these  birds  were  so  familiar  that 
they  would  approach  the  tahh  and  eat  out  of  his  plate; 
and,  when  they  had  liberty  to  fly  about  upon  the  beach, 
they  always  returned  to  the  ship  when  the  dinner  or  supper 
bell  rang.  . 

In  a  wild  state  it  is  asserted  that  the  Pintado  associates 
in  numerous  flocks.  Dampier  speaks  of  having  seen  betwixt 
two  and  three  hundred  of  them  together  in  the  Cape  Je 
Verd  Islands. 


THE     TAME     PIGEON.  89 

THE  TAME  PIGEON.     {Columla  livia.) 

Passing  over  the  common  barn  fowl  and  the  parti  idge 
pheasant,  quail,  and  grouse,  we  come  to  the  common  tama 
Pigeon,  as  a  specimen  of  the  genus  Columha,  of  which  there 
are  many  species.  The  tame  Pigeon  is  well  known  as  to 
the  shape,  but  the  colour  varies  so  much,  that  it  eludes  the 
rules  of  classification.  They  prefer  a  gregarious  life,  and 
abide  often,  to  the  number  of  five  or  six  thousand,  in  a  cot 
purposely  built  for  them  in  the  neighbourhood  of  a  farm- 
yard, with  proper  holes  to  nestle  in.  The  female  Pigeon, 
through  the  whole  species,  lays  two  eggs  at  a  time,  which 
produce  generally  a  male  and  a  female.  It  is  pleasing  to 
see  how  eager  the  male  is  to  sit  upon  the  eggs,  in  order 
that  his  mate  may  rest  and  feed  herself.  The  young  ones, 
when  hatched,  require  no  food  for  the  first  three  days, 
warmth  is  their  only  nourishment;  they  are  then  fed  from 
the  crop  of  the  mother;  who  has  the  power  of  forcing  up  the 
half-digested  peas  which  she  has  swallowed  to  give  them  to 
her  young.  The  young  ones,  open-mouthed,  receive  this 
tribute  of  affection,  and  are  thus  fed  three  times  a  day. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTE. 

There  are  upwards  of  twenty  varieties  of  the  domestic 
Pigeon,  and  of  these  the  Carriers  are  the  most  celebrated. 
They  obtain  their  name  from  being  sometimes  employed  to 
6 


90  THEOSTRICH. 

eonvey  letters  or  small  packets  from  one  place  io  another. 
The  rapidity  of  their  flight  is  very  wonderful.  Leithgonf 
assures  us  that  one  of  them  will  carry  a  letter  from  Babylon 
to  Aleppo  (which,  to  a  man,  is  usually  thirty  days'  journey) 
in  forty-eight  hours.  To  measure  their  speed  with  some 
degree  of  exactness,  a  gentleman  many  years  ago,  on  a 
trifling  wager,  sent  a  Carrier  Pigeon  from  London,  by  the 
coach,  to  a  friend  at  Bury  St.  Edmond's ;  and  along  with  it 
a  note,  desiring  that  the  Pigeon,  two  days  after  its  arrival 
there,  might  be  thrown  up  precisely  when  the  town  clock 
struck  nine  in  the  morning.  This  was  accordingly  done, 
and  the  Pigeon  arrived  in  London  at  half-past  eleven  o'clock 
of  the  same  morning,  having  flown  seventy-two  miles  in  two 
hours  and  a  half.  From  the  instant  of  its  liberation,  its 
flight  is  directed  through  the  clouds,  at  a  great  height,  to 
its  home.  By  an  instinct  altoorcther  inconceivable,  it  darts 
onward,  in  a  straight  line,  to  the  very  spot  whence  it  was 
taken,  but  how  it  can  direct  its  flight  so  exactly  will  pro- 
bably for  ever  remain  unknown  to  us. 


THE  OSTRICH.     (Struthw  camelus.) 

We  place  the  Ostrich  at  the  head  of  the  fifth  order  of 
birds,  the  Grallatores,  or  Waders.  The  Ostrich  is  a  native 
of  Africa.     It  is  one  of  the  tallest  of  birds ;  as  when  it 


THE      OSTRICH.  99^ 

holds  up  its  head  it  can  reach  eleven  feet  in  height.  The 
head  is  very  small  in  comparison  with  the  body,  being 
hardly  bigger  than  one  of  the  toes ;  it  is  covered,  as  well  as 
the  neck,  with  a  certain  down,  or  thin-set  hairs,  instead  of 
feathers.  The  sides  and  thighs  are  entirely  bare  and  flesh- 
coloured.  The  lower  part  of  the  neck,  where  the  feathers 
begin,  is  white.  The  wings  are  short  and  of  no  use  in 
flying,  but  when  the  bird  runs,  which  it  does  with  a  strange 
jumping  kind  of  motion,  it  raises  its  short  wings,  and  holds 
them  quivering  over  its  back,  where  they  seem  to  serve  as 
a  kind  of  sail  to  gather  the  wind  and  carry  the  bird  on- 
wards. The  feathers  of  the  back,  in  the  cock,  are  coal- 
black  ;  in  the  hen  only  dusky,  and  so  soft  that  they  resemble 
a  kind  of  wool.  The  tail  is  thick,  bushy,  and  round }  in 
the  cock  whitish,  in  the  hen  dusky  with  white  tops.  These 
are  the  feathers  so  generally  in  requisition,  to  decorate  the 
head-dress  of  ladies  and  the  helmets  of  warriors. 

The  Ostrich  swallows  anything  that  presents  itself,  lea- 
ther, glass,  iron,  bread,  hair,  &c. ;  and  the  power  of  digestion 
in  the  stomach  is  so  strong  that  even  iron  is  very  much 
affected  by  it.  An  Ostrich  in  the  Zoological  Gardens  in  the 
Regent's  Park,  was,  however,  killed  by  swallowing  a  lady's 
parasol. 

O'er  the  wild  waste  the  stupid  Ostrich  strays, 
In  devious  search  to  pick  her  scanty  meal, 
Whose  fierce  digestion  gnaws  the  temper'd  steel. 

Mickle's  Lvsiad. 


92  THE     OSTRICH. 

They  are  polygamous  birds;  one  male  beirg  generally 
<een  with  two  or  three,  and  sometimes  with  five  females. 
The  female  Ostrich,  in  the  tropical  regions,  after  depositing 
her  eggs  in  the  sand,  trusts  them  to  be  hatched  by  the  heat 
of  the  climate,  and  leaves  the  young  ones  to  provide  for 
themselves. 

ILLUSTRATIVE   ANECDOTES. 

That  Ostriches  have  great  aflFection  for  thoir  offspring, 
may  be  inferred  from  the  assertion  of  Professor  Thunberg, 
that  he  once  rode  past  the  place  where  a  hen  Ostrich  was 
sitting  in  her  nest ;  when  the  bird  sprang  up  and  pursued 
him,  evidently  with  a  view  to  prevent  his  noticing  her  egga 
or  young.  Every  time  he  turned  his  horse  towards  her, 
she  retreated  ten  or  twelve  paces ;  •  but  as  soon  as  he  rode 
on  again,  she  pursued  him,  till  he  had  got  to  a  considerable 
distance  from  the  place  where  he  had  started  her.  In  the 
tropical  regions,  some  persons  breed  Ostriches  in  flocks ;  for 
they  may  be  tamed  with  very  little  trouble;  and  in  their 
domestic  state,  few  animals  may  be  rendered  more  useful. 
When  M.  Adanson  was  at  Podar,  a  French  factory  on  the 
southern  bank  of  the  river  Niger,  two  young  but  full-grown 
Ostriches,  belonging  to  the  factory,  afforded  him  a  very 
amusing  sight.  They  were  so  tame  that  two  little  blacks 
mounted  both  together  on  the  back  of  the  largest.  No 
sooner  did  he  feel  their  weight,  than,  he  began  to  run  as  fast 
as  possible,  and  carried  them  several  times  round  the  village ; 


THE     CASSOWARY.  98M 

and  it  ■was  impossible  to  stop  him  otherwise  than  by  obstruct- 
ing the  passage.  This  sight  pleased  M.  Adanson  so  much, 
that  he  wished  it  to  be  repeated ;  and  to  try  their  strength, 
he  directed  a  full-grown  negro  to  mount  the  smaller,  and 
two  others  the  larger  of  the  birds.  This  burden  did  not 
seem  at  all  disproportioned  to  their  strength.  At  first,  they 
went  at  a  tolerably  sharp  trot ;  but  when  they  became  heated 
a  little,  they  expanded  their  wings,  as  though  to  catch  the 
wind,  and  moved  with  such  fleetness  that  they  scarcely 
seemed  to  touch  the  ground.  The  foot  of  the  Ostrich  has 
only  two  toes ;  one  of  which  is  extremely  large  and  strong, 
to  make  its  way  through  the  moving  sands  of  the  desert. 


THE  CASSOWAKY,     (Casuarius  galeatus,) 

Is  next  in  size  to  the  ostrich,  but  of  a  difierent  nature. 
His  wings  are  hardly  perceptible,  being  very  short,  and 
entirely  concealed  under  the  plumage.  The  general  tint 
of  his  feathers  is  brown,  with  some  spots  of  vermilion  red; 
his  head  is  small  and  depressed,  with  a  horny  crown  ;  the 
head  and  neck  are  deprived  of  feathers,  and  only  set  with  a 
kind  of  hairy  down.  From  the  bill  to  the  claws  the  body 
measures  about  five  fee*  and  a  half;  about  the  neck  are  two 
protuberances  of  a  bluish  colour,  and  in  shape  like  the 


9i  THE    WHOOPING     CRANE. 

wattles  of  a  cock.  Unlike  other  birds,  the  feathers  of  the 
wings,  and  other  parts  of  the  body,  are  exactly  the  same ; 
so  that  at  a  distance  he  looks  rather  as  if  he  were  entirely 
covered  with  hairs  like  a  bear,  than  with  plumage  like  a 
bird.  The  Cassowary  eats  indiscriminately  whatever  comes 
in  his  way,  and  does  not  seem  to  have  any  sort  of  predilec- 
tion in  the  choice  of  his  food.  He  is  a  native  of  the  southern 
parts  of  India;  the  eggs  of  the  female  are  nearly  fifteen 
inches  in  circumference,  of  a  grayish  ash-colour,  marked  with 
green.  It  has  been  said  of  the  Cassowary,  that  he  has  the 
head  of  a  warrior,  the  eye  of  a  lion,  the  armament  of  a  por- 
cupine, and  the  swiftness  of  a  courser. 


THE  WHOOPING  CRANE.     (Grus  Americana.') 

This  stately  Crane  (says  Mr.  Nuttall),  the  largest  of  all 
the  feathered  tribes  in  the  United  States,  like  the  rest  of 
its  family,  dwelling  amidst  marshes,  and  dark  and  desolate 
Bwamps,  according  to  the  season,  is  met  with  in  almost  every 
part  of  North  America,  from  the  islands  of  the  West  Indies, 
to  which  it  retires  to  pass  the  vrinter,  to  the  utmost  habitabla 
regions  and  fur  countries  of  the  North.  A  few  hybernate  in 
t.he  warmer  parts  of  the  Union,  and  some  have  been  known 
to  linger  through  the  whole  of  the  inclement  season  in  the 
Bwamps  of  New  Jersey,  near  to  Cape  May.     When  dis. 


THE    WHOOPING     CRANE.  95 

covered  in  their  retreats,  they  are  observed  wandering  along 
the  marshes  and  muddy  flats  near  the  sea-shore,  in  quest  of 
reptiles,  fish,  and  marine  worms.  Occasionally  they  are  seen 
Bailing  along  from  place  to  place  with  a  heavy,  silent  flight, 
elevated  but  little  above  the  surface  of  the  earth.  Ever 
wary,  and  stealing  from  the  view  of  all  observers,  these 
gaunt  shades  of  something  which  constantly  avoids  the  social 
light,  impress  the  mind  no  less  with  curiosity  than  aversion, 
and  it  is  surprising,  that  furtive  and  inharmonious  as  owls, 
they  have  not  excited  the  prejudice  of  the  superstitious. 

At  times  they  utter  a  loud,  clear,  and  piercing  cry,  that 
may  be  heard  to  a  very  considerable  distance,  and  which, 
being  not  unaptly  compared  to  the  whoop  or  yell  of  the 
savages  when  rushing  to  battle,  has  conferred  upon  our  bird 
his  peculiar  appellation.  Other  species  of  the  genus  possesa 
also  the  same  sonorous  cry.  When  wounded,  they  attack 
those  who  approach  them  with  considerable  vigour,  so  much 
so  as  to  have  been  known  to  dart  their  sharp  and  dagger-like 
bill  through  the  incautious  hand  held  out  for  their  capture. 
Indeed,  according  to  Dr.  Richardson,  they  have  sometimes 
driven  the  fowler  fairly  out  of  the  field. 

ILLUSTRATIVE   ANECDOTES- 

Captain  Amidas  (the  first  Englishman  who  ever  set  foot 
in  North  America)  thus  graphically  describes  the  clamour 
«f  the  Whooping  CraneS;  ou  his  lauding  on  the  isle  of  Wo- 


96  THE     WHOOPING     CRANE. 

kokou,  off  the  coast  of  North  Carolina,  in  the  month  of 
July :  "  Such  a  flock  of  Cranes  (the  most  part  white)  arose 
under  us,  with  such  a  cry,  redoubled  by  many  echoes,  as  if 
an  army  of  men  had  shouted  altogether."  But  though  this 
display  of  their  discordant  calls  may  be  amusing,  the  bustle 
of  their  great  migrations,  and  the  passage  of  their  mighty 
armies,  fills  the  mind  with  wonder. 

In  the  month  of  December,  1811  (says  3Ir.  Nuttall),  while 
leisurely  descending  on  the  bosom  of  the  Mississippi,  in  one 
of  the  trading  boats  of  that  period,  I  had  an  opportunity  of 
witnessing  one  of  these  vast  migrations  of  the  Whooping 
Cranes,  assembled  by  many  thousands  from  all  the  marshes 
and  impassable  swamps  of  the  north  and  west.  The  whole 
continent  seemed  as  if  giving  up  its  quota  of  the  species  to 
swell  the  mighty  host.  Their  flight  took  place  in  the  night, 
down  the  great  aerial  valley  of  the  river,  whose  southern 
course  conducted  them  every  instant  towards  warmer  and 
more  hospitable  climes.  The  clangour  of  these  numerous 
legions  passing  along,  high  in  air,  seemed  almost  deafening ; 
the  confused  cry  of  the  vast  army  continued,  with  the  length- 
ening procession,  and  as  the  vocal  call  continued  nearly 
throughout  the  whole  night,  without  intermission,  some  idea 
may  be  formed  of  the  immensity  of  the  numbers  now  assem- 
bled on  their  annual  journey  to  the  regions  of  the  south. 


THE    STILT. -^  If 

THE  BLACK-NECKED  STILT/  '"    "" 
(Himantopus  nigricolUs.^ 

This  curious  bird,  under  the  name  of  Long-legged  A  voset, 
is  described  by  Mr.  Wilson  in  his  usual  lively  and  interest, 
ing  style.     He  says  : — 

This  species  arrives  on  the  sea-coast  of  New  Jersey  about 
the  25th  of  April,  in  small,  detached  flocks,  of  twenty  or 
thirty  together.  These  sometimes  again  subdivide  into 
lesser  parties ;  but  it  rarely  happens  that  a  pair  is  found 
solitary,  as,  during  the  breeding  season,  they  usually  asso- 
ciate in  small  companies.  On  their  first  arrival,  and, 
indeed,  during  the  whole  of  their  residence,  they  inhabit 
those  particular  parts  of  the  salt  marshes  pretty  high  up 
towards  the  land,  that  are  broken  into  numerous-  shallow 
pools,  but  are  not  usually  overflowed  by  the  tides  during 
the  summer.  These  pools,  or  ponds,  are  generally  so  shal- 
low, that,  with  their  long  legs,  the  Avosets  can  easily  wade 
them  in  every  direction ;  and,  as  they  abound  with  minute 
shell-fish,  and  multitudes  of  aquatic  insects  and  their  larvae, 
besides  the  eggs  and  spawn  of  others  deposited  in  the  soft 
mud  below,  these  birds  find  here  an  abundant  supply  of 
food,  and  are  almost  continually  seen  wading  about  in  such 
places,  often  up  to  the  breast  in  water. 
*  In  the  vicinity  of  these  hold  places,  as  they  are  called 
by  the  country  people,  and  at  the  distance  of  forty  or  fifty 
jards  off,  among  the  thick  tufts  of  grass,  one  of  these  small 


9S  THESTILT. 

associations,  consisting  perhaps  of  six  or  eight  pair,  takes 
up  its  residence  during  the  breeding  season.  About  the 
first  week  in  May  they  begin  to  construct  their  nests,  which 
are  at  first  slightly  formed  of  a  small  quantity  of  old  grass, 
scarcely  sufiicient  to  keep  the  eggs  from  the  wet  marsh. 
As  they  lay  and  sit,  however,  either  dreading  the  rise  of 
the  tides,  or  for  some  other  purpose,  the  nest  is  increased 
in  height,  with  d,ry  twigs  of  a  shrub  very  common  in  the 
marshes,  roots  of  the  salt  grass,  sea-weed,  and  various  other 
substances,  the  whole  weighing  between  two  and  three 
pounds.  This  habit  of  adding  materials  to  the  nest  after 
the  female  begins  sitting  is  common  to  almost  all  other 
birds  that  breed  in  the  marshes.  The  eggs  are  four  in 
number,  of  a  dark  yellowish  clay-colour,  thickly  marked 
with  large  blotches  of  black.  These  nests  are  often  placed 
within  fifteen  or  twenty  yards  of  each  other;  but  the 
greatest  harmony  seems  to  prevail  among  the  proprietors. 

While  the  females  are  sitting,  the  males  are  either  waJing 
through  the  ponds,  or  roaming  over  the  adjoining  mar&lies; 
but  should  a  person  make  his  appearance,  the  whole  collect 
together  in  the  air,  flying  with  their  long  legs  extended 
behind  them,  keeping  up  a  continual  yelping  note  of  click, 
click,  click.  Their  flight  is  steady,  and  not  in  short,  sud- 
den jerks,  like  that  of  the  plover.  As  they  frequently 
alight  on  the  bare  marsh,  they  drop  their  wings,  stand  with 
their  legs  half  bent,  and  trembling,  as  if  unable  to  sustain 
the  burden  of  their  bodies.     In  thia  ridiculous  posture  they 


T  H  E     F  L  A  M  I  N  G  0.  VV 

will  sometimes  stand  for  several  minutes,  uttering  a  curriug 
sound,  while,  from  the  corresponding  quiverings  of  their 
wings  and  long  legs,  they  seem  to  balance  themselves  with 
great  difficulty.  This  singular  manoeuvre  is,  no  doubt, 
intended  to  induce  a  belief  that  they  may  be  easily  caught, 
and  so  turn  the  attention  of  the  person,  from  the  pursuit  of 
their  nests  and  young,  to  themselves.  ,-(^ 

The  Red-necked  Avoset  practises  the  very  same  deception, 
in  the  same  ludicrous  manner,  and  both  aliglit  indiscriminate- 
ly on  the  ground  or  in  the  water.  Both  will  also  occasionally 
Bwim  for  a  few  feet,  when  they  chance  in  wading  to  lose 
their  depth,  aa  I  have  had  several  times  an  opportunity  of 
observing. 

The  name  by  which  this  bird  is  known  on  the  sea-coast 
is  the  Stilt,  or  Tilt,  or  Long-Shanks.  They  are  but 
sparingly  dispersed  over  the  marshes,  having,  as  has  been 
already  observed,  their  particular  favourite  spots,  while  in 
large  intermediate  tracts,  there  are  few  or  none  to  be 
found. 


THE  AMERICAN,  OR  RED  FLAMINGO. 

(^Phoenicopterus  ruber.^ 

The  Flamingo  of  America  (says  Mr.  Nuttall)  is  found 
ehiefly  in  the  tropical  regions,  from  whe]3.ce  it  appears  to 


100  THE     FLAMINGO. 

emigrate  in  summer,  on  either  side  of  the  equator ;  in  thi 
southern  hemisphere,  visiting  Brazil,  Peru,  Chili,  and 
Buenos  Ayres,  on  the  shores  of  La  Plata.  It  is  also  seen 
in  Cayenne  (where  it  is  known  by  the  name  of  Tococo, 
from  the  usual  sound  of  its  call),  and  in  various  islands  of 
the  West  Indies.  They  breed  in  Cuba  and  the  Bahamas, 
are  not  unfrequent  at  certain  seasons  on  the  coast  of  Florida, 
and  sometimes  sojitary  individuals  are  observed  even  in  the 
Middle  States  3  but  in  the  Union  generally,  the  species  may 
be  considered  as  rare. 

When  seen  at  a  distance,  such  is  the  brilliancy  of  their 
dress,  and  the  elevation  at  which  they  stand,  that  they 
appear  like  a  troop  of  soldiers,  being  arranged  alongside  of 
each  other,  in  lines,  while  on  the  borders  of  rivers  and 
estuaries  near  the  sea,  they  assemble  in  search  of  their  food, 
which  consists  chiefly  of  small  fish,  spawn,  and  aquatic 
insects. 

They  collect  their  prey  by  plunging  in  the  bill  and  part 
of  the  head ;  and  from  time  to  time  trample  with  their  feet, 
to  disturb  the  water,  and  raise  it  from  the  bottom.  V/hile 
the  rest  are  thu.«  employed  in  seeking  their  subsistence,  one 
of  them  stands  sentinel,  and,  on  the  first  note  of  alarm,  a 
kind  of  trumpet-call,  he  takes  to  wing,  and  the  whole  flock 
immediately  follow. 

The  Flamingo  has  the  neck  and  legs  in  a  greater  dispro- 
portion than  any  other  bird.  The  length  from  the  end  of 
the  bill  to  that  of  the  tail  is  four  feet  two  or  three  inches ; 


THE     STORMY     PETREL.  101 

but  to  tlic  end  of  the  claws  measures  sometimes  more  than 
SIX  feet.  The  bill  is  four  inches  and  a  quarter  long ;  as  far 
as  the  bend  black,  but  from  thence  to  the  base,  reddish- 
yellow;  round  the  base  quite  to  the  eye,  covered  with  a 
flesh-coloured  cere. 

The  plumage  deep  scarlet  in  the  adult,  except  the  quills, 
wnich  are  black.  From  the  base  of  the  thigh  to  the  claws, 
measures  thirty-two  inches,  of  which  the  feathered  part 
takes  up  no  more  than  three. 


WESSON'S  STORMY  PETREL. 

(  Thalasidroma  Wilsonii.^ 

We  commence  our  series  of  the  Palmipedes,  or  Web- 
Footed  birds,  with  this,  which  is  called  Wilson's  Stormy 
Petrel,  in  honour  of  Alexander  Wilson,  the  celebrated  his- 
torian of  American  birds.  It  is  on  his  authority  that  we 
give  the  following  description  and  illustrative  anecdotes  :— 

The  Stormy  Petrel,  the  least  of  the  whole  twenty-four 
species  of  its  tribe  enumerated  by  ornithologists,  and  the 
smallest  of  all  palmated  fowls,  is  found  over  the  whole 
Atlantic  Ocean,  from  Europe  to  North  America,  at  all 
distances  from  land,  and  in  all  weathers,  but  is  particularly 
numerous  near  vessels,  immediately  preceding  and  during  a 
gale,  when  flocks  of  them  crowd  in  her  wake,  seeming  then 


102  THE     STOKMY     PETREL. 

more  than  usually  active  in  picking  up  various  matters  from 
the  surface  of  the  water. 

The  Stormy  Petrels,  or  Mother  Carey's  Chickens,  breed 
in  great  numbers  on  the  rocky  shores  of  the  Bahama  and 
the  Bermuda  Islands,  and  in  some  places  on  the  coast  of 
East  Florida  and  Cuba.  They  breed  in  communities,  like 
the  bank  swallows,  making  their  nests  in  the  holes  and 
cavities  of  the  rocks  above  the  sea,  returning  to  feed  their 
young  only  during  the  night,  with  the  superabundant  oily 
food  from  their  stomachs.  At  these  times  they  may  be 
heard  making  a  continued  cluttering  sound,  like  frogs, 
during  the  whole  night.  In  the  day  they  are  silent,  and 
wander  widely  over  the  ocean.  This  easily  accounts  for  the 
vast  distance  they  are  sometimes  seen  from  land,  even  in 
the  breeding  season.  The  rapidity  of  their  flight  is  at  least 
equal  to  the  fleetness  of  our  swallows.  Calculating  this  at 
the  rate  of  one  mile  per  minute,  twelve  hours  would  be 
Buflacient  to  waft  them  a  distance  of  seven  hundred  and 
twenty  miles ;  but  it  is  probable  that  the  far  greater  part 
confine  themselves  much  nearer  land  during  that  interesting 
period. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

In  the  month  of  July,  while  on  a  voyage  from  New 
Orleans  to  New  York,  I  saw  few  or  none  of  these  birds  in 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  although  our  ship  was  detained  there 
by  calms  for  twenty  days,  and  carried  by  currents  aa  far 


THE     STORMY     PETREL.  103 

Bouth  as  Cape  Antonio,  the  westernmost  extremity  of  Cuba. 
On  entering  the  Gulf  Stream,  and  passing  along  the  coasts 
of  Florida  and  the  Carolinas,  these  birds  madj  their  appear- 
ance in  great  numbers,  and  in  all  weathers,  contributing 
much  by  their  sprightly  evolutions  of  wing  to  enliven  the 
scene,  and  affording  me  every  day  several  hours  of  amuse- 
ment. It  is  indeed  an  iiitei-esting  sight  to  observe  these  little 
birds  in  a  gale,  coursing  over  the  waves,  down  the  declivities, 
up  the  ascents  of  the  foaming  surf  that  threatens  to  burst 
over  their  heads,  sweeping  along  the  hollow  troughs  of  the 
sea  as  in  a  sheltered  valley,  and  again  mounting  with  the 
rising  billow,  and  just  above  its  surface  occasionally  dropping 
its  feet,  which,  striking  the  water,  throw  it  up  again  with 
additional  force ;  sometimes  leaping,  with  both  legs  parallel, 
on  the  surface  of  the  roughest  waves  for  several  yards  at  a 
time.  Meanwhile  it  continues  coursing  from  side  to  side 
of  the  ship's  wake,  making  excursions  far  and  wide,  to  the 
right  and  to  the  left,  now  a  great  way  ahead,  and  now 
shooting  astern  for  several  hundred  yards,  returning  again 
to  the  ship  as  if  she  were  all  the  while  stationary,  though 
perhaps  running  at  the  rate  of  ten  knots  an  hour !  But  the 
most  singular  peculiarity  of  this  bird  is  its  faculty  of  stand- 
ing, and  even  running,  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  which 
it  performs  with  apparent  facility.  When  any  greasy  matter 
is  thrown  overboard,  these  birds  instantly  collect  around  it, 
and,  facing  to  windward,  with  their  long  wings  expanded, 
and  their  webbed  feet  patting  the  water,  the  lightness  of 


104  THE     STORMY    PETREL. 

their  bodies  and  the  action  of  the  wind  on  their  wings  enabli 
them  to  do  this  with  case.  In  calm  weather,  they  perform  the 
same  manoeuvre,  by  keeping  their  wings  just  so  much  in 
action  as  to  pi-event  their  feet  from  sinking  below  the  surface. 
According  to  Buifon,  it  is  from  this  singular  habit  that  the 
whole  genus  hare  obtained  the  name  Petrel,  from  the 
Apostle  Peter,  who,  as  Scripture  informs  us,  also  walked  on 
the  water. 

As  these  birds  often  come  up  immediately  under  the 
stern,  one  can  examine  their  form  and  plumage  with  nearly 
as  much  accuracy  as  if  they  were  in  the  hand.  They  fly 
with  the  wings  forming  an  almost  straight,  horizontal  line 
with  the  body,  the  legs  extended  behind,  and  the  feet  partly 
seen  stretching  beyond  the  tail.  Their  common  note  of  "  tceet^ 
toeet,"  is  scarcely  louder  than  that  of  a  young  duck  of  a 
week  old,  and  much  resembling  it.  During  the  whole  of  a 
dark,  wet,  and  boisterous  night  which  I  spent  on  deck,  they 
flew  about  the  after  rigging,  making  a  singular  hoarse 
chattering,  which  in  sound  resembled  the  syllables  pafrit  tu 
cuk  cuk,  tu  tu,  laying  the  accent  strongly  on  the  second 
syllable  tret.  Now  and  then  I  conjectured  that  they  alighted 
on  the  rigging,  making  then  a  lower,  curring  noise. 

Notwithstanding  the  superstitious  fears  of  the  seamen, 
who  dreaded  the  vengeance  of  the  survivors,  I  shot  four- 
teen of  these  birds  one  calm  day,  in  lat.  33°,  eighty  or 
ninety  miles  oiF  the  coast  of  Carolina,  and  had  the  boat 
lowered  to  pick  them  up.     These  I  examined  with  consider- 


THE     PIED     OYSTER-CATCHER.  105 

able  attention,  and  found  the  most  perfect  specimens  as 
follows  : — 

Length,  six  inches  and  three  quarters;  extent,  thirteen 
inches  and  a  half;  bill,  black,  nostrils,  united  in  a  tubular 
projection,  the  upper  mandible  grooved  from  thence,  and 
overhanging  the  lower  like  that  of  a  bird  of  prey ;  head, 
back,  and  lower  parts,  brown  sooty  black;  greater  wing- 
coverts,  pale  brown,  minutely  tipped  with  white ;  sides  of 
the  vent,  and  whole  tail-coverts,  pure  white;  wings  and 
tail,  deep  black,  the  latter  nearly  even  at  the  tip,  or  very 
slightly  forked;  in  some  specimens,  two  or  three  of  the 
exterior  tail-feathers  were  white  for  an  inch  or  so  at  the 
root ;  legs  and  naked  part  of  the  thighs,  black ;  feet,  web- 
bed, with  the  slight  rudiments  of  a  hind  toe ;  the  membrane 
of  the  food  is  marked  with  a  spot  of  straw  yellow,  and  finely 
serrated  along  the  edges ;  eyes,  black.  ,  Male  and  female 
differing  nothing  in  colour. 


THE  PIED  OYSTER-CATCHER.     {Hsematopus 

ostralegus.^ 

This  singular  species  (says  Wilson)  although  nowhere 
numerous,  inhabits  almost  every  sea-shore,  both  on  the  new 
and  old  continent,  but  is  never  found  inland.  It  is  the 
only  one  of  its  genus  hitherto  discovered,  and  from  the  con- 


106  THE     PIED     OYSTER-CATCHER. 

formation  of  some  of  its  parts,  one  might  almost  be  led  by 
fancy  to  suppose,  that  it  had  borrowed  the  eye  of  the 
plieasant,  the  legs  and  feet  of  the  bustard,  and  the  biil  of 
the  woodpecker. 

The  Oyster-Catcher  frequents  the  sandy  sea-beach  of  New 
Jersey,  and  other  parts  of  our  Atlantic  coast,  in  summer,  in 
small  parties  of  two  or  three  pairs  together.  They  are 
extremely  shy,  and,  except  about  the  season  of  breeding, 
will  seldom  permit  a  person  to  approach  within  gunshot. 
They  walk  along  the  shore  in  a  watchful,  stately  manner, 
at  times  probing  it  with  their  long,  wedge-like  bills,  in 
search  of  small  shell-fish.  This  appears  evident,  on  exa- 
mining the  hard  sands  where  they  usually  resort,  which  are 
found  thickly  perforated  with  oblong  holes,  two  or  three  inches 
in  depth.  The  small  crabs  called  fiddlers,  that  burrow  in  the 
mud  at  the  bottom  of  inlets,  are  frequently  the  prey  of  the 
Oyster-Catcher;  as  are  muscles,  spout  fish,  and  a  variety 
of  other  shell-fish  and  sea  insects  with  which  those  shores 
abound. 

The  principal  food,  however,  of  this  bird,  according  to 
European  writers,  and  that  from  which  it  derives  its  name, 
is  the  oyster,  which  it  is  said  to  watch  for,  and  snatch 
suddenly  from  the  shells,  whenever  it  surprises  them  suffi- 
ciently open.  In  search  of  these,  it  is  reported  that  it  often 
frequents  the  oyster-beds,  looking  out  for  the  slightest 
opening  through  which  it  may  attack  its  unwary  prey.  For 
this  purpose  the  form   of  its  bill   seems  very  fitly  cal» 


THE    PIED    OYSTER-CATCHE».  107 

culated.  Yet  the  truth  of  these  accounts  is  doubted  by  the 
inhabitants  of  Egg  Harbor,  and  other  parts  of  our  coast, 
who  positively  assert,  that  it  never  haunts  such  places,  but 
confines  itself  almost  solely  to  the  sands ;  and  this  opinion 
I  am  inclined  to  believe  correct,  having  myself  uniformly 
found  these  birds  on  the  smooth  beach  bordering  the  ocean, 
and  on  the  higher,  dry,  and  level  sands,  just  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  summer  tides.  On  this  last  situation,  where 
the  dry  flats  are  thickly  interspersed  with  drifted  shells,  I 
have  repeatedly  found  their  nests,  between  the  middle  and 
25th  of  May.  The  nest  itself  is  a  slight  hollow  in  the 
sand,  containing  three  eggs,  somewhat  less  than  those  of  a 
hen,  and  nearly  of  the  same  shape,  of  a  bluish  cream-colour, 
marked  with  large,  roundish  spots  of  black,  and  others  of  a 
fainter  tint.  In  some,  the  ground  cream-colour  is  destitute 
of  the  bluish  tint,  the  blotches  larger,  and  of  a  deep  brown. 
The  young  are  hatched  about  the  25th  of  May,  and  some- 
times earlier,  having  myself  caught  them  running  along  the 
beach  about  that  period.  They  are  at  first  covered  with 
down  of  a  grayish  colour,  very  much  resembling  that  of  the 
sand,  and  marked  with  a  streak  of  brownish  black  on  the 
back,  rump,  and  neck,  the  breast  being  dusky,  where,  in 
the  old  ones,  it  is  black.  The  bill  is  at  that  age  slightly 
bent  downwards  at  the  tip,  where,  like  most  other  young 
birds,  it  has  a  hard  protuberance  that  assists  them  in  break 
ing  the  shell ;  but  in  a  few  days  afterwards  this  falls  off 
These  run  along  the  shore  with  great  ease  and  swiftnees. 


108  THE     PIED     OYSTER-CATCHER. 

Latbam  observes,  that  the  young  are  said  to  be  hatched  in 
about  three  weeks ;  and  though  they  are  wild  when  in  flocks, 
yet  are  easily  brought  up  tame,  if  taken  young.  *'  I  have 
known  them,"  says  he,  "  to  be  thus  kept  for  a  long  time, 
frequenting  the  ponds  and  ditches  during  the  day,  attending 
the  ducks  and  other  poultry  to  shelter  of  nights,  and 
not  unfrequently  to  come  up  of  themselves  as  evening 
approaches." 

The  female  sits  on  her  eggs  only  during  the  night,  or  in 
remarkably  cold  and  rainy  weather ;  at  other  times  the  heat 
of  the  sun  and  of  the  sand,  which  is  sometimes  great, 
renders  incubation  unnecessary.  But  although  this  is  the 
case,  she  is  not  deficient  in  care  or  affection.  She  watches 
the  spot  with  an  attachment,  anxiety,  and  perseverance,  that 
are  really  surprising,  till  the  time  arrives  when  her  little 
offspring  burst  their  prisons,  and  follow  the  guiding  voice 
of  their  mother.  When  there  is  appearance  of  danger,  they 
squat  on  the  sand,  from  which  they  are  with  difficulty 
distinguished,  while  the  parents  make  large  circuits  around 
the  intruder,  alighting  sometimes  on  this  hand,  sometimes 
on  that,  uttering  repeated  cries,  and  practising  the  common 
affectionate  stratagem  of  counterfeited  lameness,  to  allure 
him  from  their  young. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

Some  time  ago  (says  Mr.  Wilson)  I  received  a  stuffed 
Bpeciiuen  of  the  Oyster-Catcher,  from  a  gentleman  of  Boston, 


THE     PIED     OYSTER-CATCHER.  109 

an  experienced  sportsman,  who,  nevertheless,  was  unat 
quainted  with  this  bird.  He  informed  me,  that  two  very 
old  men  to  whom  it  was  shown,  called  it  a  Hagdel.  He 
adds,  "  It  was  shot  from  a  flock,  which  was  first  discovered 
on  tha  beach  near  the  entrance  of  Boston  Harbour.  On  the 
approach  of  the  gunner,  they  rose,  and  instantly  formed  in 
line,  like  a  corps  of  troops,  and  advanced  in  perfect  order, 
keeping  well  dressed.  They  made  a  number  of  circuits  in 
the  air  previous  to  being  shot  at,  but  wheeled  in  line; 
and  the  man  who  fired  into  the  flock,  observed  that  all 
their  evolutions  were  like  those  of  a  regularly-organized 
military  company." 

The  Oyster-Catcher  will  not  only  take  to  the  water  when 
wounded,  but  can  also  swim  and  dive  well.  This  fact  I 
can  assert  from  my  own  observation,  the  exploits  of  one  of 
them  in  this  way  having  nearly  cost  me  my  life.  On  the 
sea-beach  of  Cape  May,  not  far  from  a  deep  and  rapid  inlet, 
I  broke  the  wing  of  one  of  these  birds,  and  being  without 
a  dog,  instantly  pursued  it  towards  the  inlet,  which  it  made 
for  with  great  rapidity.  We  both  plunged  in  nearly  at  the 
same  instant  j  but  the  bird  eluded  my  grasp,  and  I  sunk 
beyond  my  depth;  it  was  not  until  this  moment  that  I 
recollected  having  carried  in  my  gun  along  with  me.  Ou 
rising  to  the  surface,  I  found  the  bird  had  dived,  and  a 
strong  ebb  current  was  carrying  me  fast  towards  the  ocean, 
encumbered  with  a  gun  and  all  my  shooting  apparatus ;  I 
was  compelled  to  relinquish  my  bird,  and  to  make  for  the 


110         THB     PIED     OYSTER-CATCHER. 

fihore,  with  considerable  mortification,  and  the  total  destrno 
tion  of  the  contents  of  my  powderhorn.  The  wounded  bird 
afterwards  rose,  and  swam  with  great  buoyancy  out  among 
the  breakers. 

On  the  same  day,  I  shot  and  examined  three  individuals 
of  this  species,  two  of  which  measured  each  eighteen  inches 
in  length,  and  thirty-five  inches  in  extent;  the  other  was 
somewhat  less.  The  bills  varied  in  length,  measuring  three 
inches  and  three  quarters,  three  and  a  half,  and  three  and 
a  quarter,  thinly  compressed  at  the  point,  very  much  like 
that  of  the  woodpecker  tribe,  but  remarkably  narrowed 
near  the  base  where  the  nostrils  are  placed,  probably  that 
it  may  work  with  more  freedom  in  the  sand.  This  instru- 
ment, for  two-thirds  of  its  length  towards  the  point,  was 
evidently  much  worn  by  digging ;  its  colour,  a  rich  orange- 
scarlet,  somewhat  yellowish  near  the  tip ;  eye,  large ;  orbits, 
af  the  same  bright  scarlet  as  the  bill;  irides,  brilliant 
yellow;  pupil,  small,  bluish  black;  under  the  eye  is  a 
small  spot  of  white,  and  a  large  bed  of  the  same  on  the 
wing-coverts ;  head,  neck,  scapulars,  rump,  wing-quills,  and 
tail,  black ;  several  of  the  primaries  are  marked  on  the  outer 
vanes  with  a  slanting  band  of  white;  secondaries,  white, 
part  of  them  tipped  with  black ;  the  whole  lower  parts  of 
the  body,  sides  of  the  rump,  tail-coverts,  and  that  portion 
of  the  tail  which  they  cover,  are  pure  white ;  the  wings, 
when  shut,  cover  the  whole  white  plumage  of  the  back  and 
mmp;  legs  and  naked  part  of  the  thighs,  pale  red;  feet. 


THE     GREAT     HERON.  Ill 

ttree-toed,  the  outer  joined  to  the  middle  by  a  broad  and 
strong  membrane,  and  each  bordered  with  a  rough,  warty 
edge ;  the  soles  of  the  feet  are  defended  from  the  hard  sand 
and  shells  by  a  remarkably  thick  and  callous  warty  skin 

On  opening  these  birds,  the  smallest  of  the  three  was 
found  to  be  a  male ;  the  gullet  widened  into  a  kind  of 
crop ;  the  stomach,  or  gizzard,  contained  fragments  of  shell- 
fish, pieces  of  crabs,  and  of  the  great  king-crab,  with  some 
dark  brown  marine  insects.  The  flesh  was  remarkably  firm 
and  muscular;  the  skull,  thick  and  strong,  intended,  no 
doubt,  as  in  the  woodpecker  tribe,  for  the  security  of  the 
brain  from  the  violent  concussions  it  might  receive  while 
the  bird  was  engaged  in  digging.  The  female  and  young 
birds  have  the  back  and  scapulars  of  a  sooty  brownish  olive. 


THE  GREAT  HEROX.     (^Ardea  JBerodtas.) 

t 

The  Great  Heron  (says  Mr,  Wilson)  is  a  constant  inha- 
bitant of  the  Atlantic  coast,  from  New  York  to  Florida ;  iu 
deep  snows  and  severe  weather  seeking  the  open  springs  of 
the  cedar  and  cypress  swamps,  and  the  muddy  inlets  occa- 
sionally covered  by  the  tides.  On  the  higher  inland  parts 
of  the  country,  beyond  the  mountains,  they  are  less  nume- 
rous; and  one  which  was  shot  in  the  upper  parts  of  New 


112  THE     GEEATHEROIS'. 

Hampshire,  was  described  to  me  as  a  great  curiosity.  Mallf* 
of  their  breeding-places  occur  in  both  Carolinas,  chiefly  in 
the  vicinity  of  tlie  sea.  In  the  lower  parts  of  New  Jersey, 
they  have  also  their  favourite  places  for  building,  and  rearing 
their  young.  These  are  generally  in  the  gloomy  solitudes 
of  the  tallest  cedar  swamps,  where,  if  unmolested,  they  con-, 
tinue  annually  to  breed  for  many  years.  These  swamps 
are  from  half  a  mile  to  a  mile  in  breadth,  and  sometimes 
five  or  six  in  length,  and  appear  as  if  they  occupied  the 
former  channel  of  some  choked-up  river,  stream,  lake,  or 
arm  of  the  sea.  The  appearance  they  present  to  a  stranger 
is  singular — a  front  of  tall  and  perfectly  straight  trunks, 
rising  to  the  height  of  fifty  or  sixty  feet,  without  a  limb, 
and  crowded  in  every  direction,  their  tops  so  closely  woven 
together  as  to  shut  out  the  day,  spreading  the  gloom  of  a 
perpetual  twilight  below.  On  a  nearer  approach,  they  are 
found  to  rise  out  of  the  water,  which,  from  the  impregnation 
of  the  fallen  leaves  and  roots  of  the  cedars,  is  of  the  colour 
of  brandy.  Amidst  this  bottom  of  congregated  springs,  the 
ruins  of  the  former  forest  lie  piled  in  every  state  of  con- 
fusion. The  roots,  prostrate  logs,  and,  in  many  places,  the 
water,  are  covered  with  green,  mantling  moss,  while  an 
undergrowth  of  laurel,  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  high,  intersects 
every  opening  so  completely,  as  to  render  a  passage  through 
laborious  and  harassing  beyond  description  j  at  every  step, 
you  either  sink  to  the  knees,  clamber  over  fallen  timber, 
g-jueeze  yourself  through  between  the  stubborn  laurels,  or 


THE     <JREAT     HERON.  113 

plunge  to  the  middle  in  ponds  made  by  the  uprooting  of 
large  trees,  which  the  green  moss  concealed  from  observa- 
tion. In  calm  weather,  the  silence  of  death  reigns  in  these 
dreary  regions ;  a  few  interrupted  rays  of  light  shoot  across 
the  gloom ;  and  unless  for  the  occasional  hollow  screams 
of  the  Herons,  and  the  melancholy  chirping  of  one  or  two 
species  of  small  birds,  all  is  silence,  solitude,  and  desolation. 
When  a  breeze  rises,  at  first  it  sighs  mournfully  through 
the  tops ;  but  as  the  gale  increases,  the  tall  mast-like  cedars 
wave  like  fishing-polos,  and  rubbing  against  each  other, 
produce  a  variety  of  singular  noises,  that,  with  the  help  of 
a  little  imagination,  resemble  shrieks,  groans,  growling  of 
bears,  wolves,  and  such  like  comfortable  music. 

On  the  tops  of  the  tallest  of  these  cedars  the  Herons 
construct  their  nests,  ten  or  fifteen  pair  sometimes  occupy* 
ing  a  particular  part  of  the  swamp.  The  nests  are  large, 
formed  of  sticks,  and  lined  with  smaller  twigs ;  each  occupies 
the  top  of  a  single  tree.  The  eggs  are  generally  four,  of  an 
oblong,  pointed  form,  larger  than  those  of  a  hen,  and  of  a 
light  greenish  blue,  without  any  spots.  The  young  are 
produced  about  the  middle  of  May,  and  remain  on  the  trees 
until  they  are  full  as  heavy  as  the  old  ones,  being  extremely 
fat,  before  they  are  able  to  fly.  They  breed  but  once  in  tho 
season.  If  disturbed  in  their  breeding-place,  the  old  birds 
iiy  occasionally  over  the  spot,  sometimes  honking  like  a 
goose,  sometimes  uttering  a  coarse,  hollow,  grunting  noise, 
like  that  of  a  hog,  but  much  louder.  7   .  -   ..  - 


Ill  THE     GREAT     HERON. 

Tbe  Great  Heron  i  s  said  to  be  fat  at  the  full  moon,  and  leaa 
at  its  decrease ;  this  might  be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  of 
tlieir  fishing  regularly  by  moonlight  through  the  greater 
part  of  the  night,  as  well  as  during  the  day ;  but  the  obser- 
vation is  not  universal,  for  at  such  times  I  have  found  some 
lean,  as  well  as  others  fat.  The  young  are  said  to  be  excel- 
lent for  the  table,  and  even  the  old  birds,  when  in  good 
order,  and  properly  cooked,  are  esteemed  by  many. 

The  principal  food  of  the  Great  Heron  is  fish,  for  which 
be  watches  with  the  most  unwearied  patience,  and  seizej 
them  with  surprising  dexterity.  At  the  edge  of  the  river, 
pond,  or  sea-shore,  hn  stands  fixed  and  motionless,  some- 
times for  hours  together.  But  his  stroke  is  quick  as  thought, 
and  sure  as  fate,  to  the  first  luckless  fish  that  approaches 
within  his  reach ;  these  he  sometimes  beats  to  death,  and 
always  swallows  head  foremost,  such  being  their  uniform 
position  in  the  stomach.  He  is  also  an  excellent  mouser, 
and  of  great  service  to  our  meadows,  in  destroying  the  short- 
tailed  or  meadow  mouse,  so  injurious  to  the  banks.  He  also 
feeds  eagerly  on  grasshoppers,  various  winged  insects,  par- 
ticularly dragon  flies,  which  he  is  very  expert  at  striking, 
and  also  eats  the  seeds  of  that  species  of  nymphae  usually 
called  spatterdocks,  so  abundant  along  our  fresh-water  ponds 
and  rivers. 

The  Heron  has  great  powers  of  wing,  flying  sometimes 
very  high,  and  to  a  great  distance ;  his  neck  doubled,  hia 
head  drawn  in,  and  his  long  legs  stretched  out  in  a  right 


THE     GREAT     HERON.  115 

line  behind  him,  appearing  like  a  tail,  and,  probably,  serving 
the  same  rudder-like  office.  When  he  leavea  the  sea-coast, 
ind  traces,  on  wing,  the  courses  of  the  creeks  or  rivers  up- 
wards, he  is  said  to  prognosticate  rain ;  when  downwards, 
dry  weather.  He  is  most  jealously  vigilant  and  watohful 
of  man,  so  that  those  who  wish  to  succeed  in  shooting  the 
Heron,  must  approach  him  entirely  unseen,  and  by  strata- 
gem. The  same  inducements,  however,  for  his  destruction, 
do  not  prevail  here  as  in  Europe.  Our  sea-shores  and 
rivers  are  free  to  all  for  the  amusement  of  fishing.  Luxury 
has  not  yet  constructed  her  thousands  of  fish-ponds,  and 
surrounded  them  with  steel  traps,  spring  guns  and  Heron 
snares.  In  our  vast  fens,  meadows,  and  sea-marshes,  this 
stately  bird  roams  at  pleasure,  feasting  on  the  never-failing 
magazines  of  frogs,  fish,  seeds,  and  insects,  with  which  they 
abound,  and  of  which  he,  probably,  considers  himself  the 
sole  lord  and  proprietor.  I  have  several  times  seen  the 
bald  eagle  attack  and  tease  the  Great  Heron ;  but  whether 
for  sport,  or  to  make  him  disgorge  his  fish,  I  am  uncertaia 
The  Common  Heron  of  Europe  very  much  resembles  the 
present,  which  might,  as  usual,  have  probably  been  ranked 
as  the  original  stock,  of  which  the  present  was  a  mere 
degenerated  species,  were  it  not  that  the  American  is  greatly 
superior,  in  size  and  weight,  to  the  European  species ;  the 
former  measuring  four  feet  four  inches,  and  weighing  up- 
v?^ards  of  seven  pounds ;  the  latter,  three  feet  three  inches, 
and  rarely  weighing  more  than  four  pounds.     Yet,  with  th« 


116  THE     GREAT     HEROJl. 

exception  of  size,  and  the  rust-coloured  thighs  of  the  present^ 
they  are  exlremeJy  alike.  The  Common  Heron  of  Europe, 
however,  is  not  an  inhabitant  of  the  United  States. 

The  Great  Heron  does  not  receive  his  full  plumage  during 
the  first  season,  nor  until  the  summer  of  the  second.  In 
the  first  season,  the  young  birds  are  entirely  destitute  of  the 
white  plumage  of  the  crown,  and  the  long,  pointed  feathers 
of  the  back,  shoulders,  and  breast.  In  this  dress  I  have 
frequently  shot  them  in  autumn;  but  in  the  third  year, 
both  males  and  females  have  assumed  their  complete  dress, 
and,  contrary  to  all  the  European  accounts  which  I  have 
met  with,  both  are  then  so  nearly  alike  in  colour  and 
markings,  as  scarcely  to  be  distinguished  from  each  other, 
both  having  the  long,  flowing  crest,  and  all  the  ornamental, 
•white,  pointed  plumage  of  the  back  and  breast.  Indeed, 
this  sameness  in  the  plumage  of  the  males  and  females, 
when  arrived  at  their  perfect  state,  is  a  characteristic  of  the 
whole  of  the  genus  with  which  I  am  acquainted.  Whether 
it  be  different  with  those  of  Europe,  or  that  the  young  and 
imperfect  birds  have  been  hitherto  mistaken  for  females,  I 
will  not  pretend  to  say,  though  I  think  the  latter  conjecture 
highly  probable,  as  the  night  raven  has  been  known  in 
Europe  for  several  centuries,  and  yet,  in  all  their  accounts, 
the  sameness  of  the  colours  and  plumage  of  the  male  and 
female  of  that  bird  is  nowhere  mentioned ;  on  the  contrary, 
the  young,  or  yearling  bird,  has  been  universally  described 
as  the  female. 


THE     GREAT    HERON.  117 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

"  The  Heron,"  says  an  English  writer,  ''  is  a  very  great 
devourer  of  fish,  and  does  more  mischief  in  a  pond  than  an 
otter.  People  who  have  kept  Herons,  have  had  the  curio, 
sity  to  number  the  fish  they  feed  them  with  into  a  tub  of 
water,  and  counting  them  argain  afterwards,  it  has  been  found 
that  they  will  eat  up  fifty  moderate  dace  and  roaches  in  a 
day.  It  has  been  found,  that  in  carp-ponds  visited  by  this 
bird,  one  Heron  will  eat  up  a  thousand  store  carp  in  a 
year ;  and  will  hunt  them  so  close,  as  to  let  very  few  escape. 
The  readiest  method  of  destroying  this  mischievous  bir-d,  is 
by  fishing  for  him  in  the  manner  of  pike,  with  a  baited 
hook.  When  the  haunt  of  the  Heron  is  found  out,  three 
or  four  small  roach,  or  dace,  are  to  be  procured,  and  each 
of  them  is  to  be  baited  on  a  wire,  with  a  strong  hook  at  the 
end,  entering  the  wire  just  at  the  gills,  and  letting  it  run 
just  under  the  skin  to  the  tail  j  the  fish  will  live  in  this 
manner  for  five  or  six  days,  which  is  a  very  essential  thing  j 
for  if  it  be  dead,  the  Heron  will  not  touch  it.  A  strong 
line  is  then  to  be  prepared  of  silk  and  wire  twisted  together, 
and  is  to  be  about  two  yards  long  j  tie  this  to  the  wire  that 
holds  the  hook,  and  to  the  other  end  of  it  there  is  to  be  tied 
a  stone  of  about  a  pound  weight ;  let  three  or  four  of  these 
baits  bo  sunk  in  difi"erent  shallow  parts  of  the  pond,  and,  in 
a  night  or  two's  time,  the  Heron  will  not  fail  to  be  taken 
with  one  or  other  of  them." 


118  THE    WOOD     IBIS. 

THE  WOOD  IBIS.     {Tantalus  loculator.) 

The  Wood  Ibis  (says  Mr.  Wilson)  inhabits  the  lower  parti 
of  Louisiana,  Carolina,  and  Georgia;  is  very  common  in 
Florida,  and  extends  as  far  south  as  Cayenne,  Brazil,  and 
various  parts  of  South  America.  In  the  United  States  it  ia 
migratory;  but  has  never,  to  my  knowledge,  been  found  to  the 
north  of  Virginia.  Its  favourite  haunts  are  watery  savannas 
and  inland  swamps,  where  it  feeds  on  fish  and  reptiles.  The 
French  inhabitants  of  Loui.siana  esteem  it  good  eating. 

With  the  particular  manners  of  this  species  I  am  not 
personally  acquainted ;  but  the  following  characteristic  traits 
are  given  of  it  by  Mr.  William  Bartram,  who  had  the  best 
opportunities  of  noting  them  : — 

"  This  solitary  bird,"  he  observes,  "  does  not  associate  in 
flocks,  but  is  generally  seen  alone,  commonly  near  the 
banks  of  great  rivers,  in  vast  marshes  or  meadows,  especially 
such  as  are  covered  by  inundations,  and  also  in  the  vast, 
deserted  rice  plantations ;  he  stands  alone  on  the  topmost 
limb  of  tall,  dead  cypress-trees,  his  neck  contracted  or  drawn 
in  upon  his  shoulders,  and  his  beak  resting,  like  a  long 
scythe,  upon  his  breast ;  in  this  pensive  posture,  and  solitary 
situation,  they  look  extremely  grave,  sorrowful,  and  melan- 
choly, as  if  in  the  deepest  thought.  They  are  never  seen 
on  the  sea-coast,  and  yet  are  never  found  at  a  jPTcat  distance 
from  it  They  feed  on  serpents,  young  alligators,  frogs,  and 
other  reptiles." 


THE     SNOW     GOOSE.  119 

THE  SNOW  GOOSE.     (Anas  hjperhorea.) 

This  species,  called  on  the  sea-coast  the  Red  Goose,  arrivei 
in  the  river  Delaware,  from  the  north,  early  in  November 
sometimes  in  considerable  flocks,  and  is  extremely  noisy 
their  notes  being  shriller  and  more  squeaking  than  those  of 
the  Canada,  or  Common  Wild  Goose.  On  their  first  arrival 
they  make  but  a  short  stay,  proceeding,  as  the  depth  of 
winter  approaches,  farther  to  the  south;  but  from  the 
middle  of  February,  until  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice  in 
March,  they  are  frequently  numerous  along  both  shores  of 
the  Delaware,  about  and  below  Reedy  Island,  particularly 
near  Old  Duck  Creek,  in  the  state  of  Delaware.  They  feed 
on  the  roots  of  the  reeds  there,  tearing  them  up  from  the 
marshes  like  hogs.  Their  flesh,  like  most  others  of  their 
tribe,  that  feed  on  vegetables,  is  excellent. 

The  Snow  Goose  is  two  feet  eight  inches  in  length,  and 
five  feet  in  extent;  the  bill  is  three  inches  in  length, 
remarkably  thick  at  the  base,  and  rising  high  in  the  fore- 
head, but  becomes  small  and  compressed  at  the  extremity, 
where  each  mandible  is  furnished  with  a  whitish  rounding 
nail ;  the  colour  of  the  bill  is  a  purplish  carmine;  the  edges 
of  the  two  mandibles  separate  from  each  other,  in  a  singular 
manner,  for  their  whole  length,  and  this  gibbosity  is  occu- 
pied by  dentated  rows,  resembling  teeth,  these,  and  the 
parts  adjoining,  being  of  a  blackish  colour;  the  whole 
plumage  is  of  a  snowy  whiteness,  with  the  exception,  first, 


120  THE    SN0T7     GOOSE. 

of  the  fore  part  of  the  head  all  round  as  far  as  the  eyes, 
which  is  of  a  yellowish  rust-colour,  intermixed  with  whit^ ; 
and,  second,  the  nine  exterior  quill-feathers,  which  are  black, 
shafted  with  white,  and  white  at  the  root;  the  covers  of 
these  last,  and  also  the  bastard  wing,  are  sometimes  of  a 
pale  ash-colour;  the  legs  and  feet,  of  the  r^me  purplish 
carmine  as  the  bill ;  iris,  dark  hazel ;  the  tail  is  rounded 
and  consists  of  sixteen  feathers ;  that,  and  the  wings,  when 
'shut,  nearly  of  a  length. 

The  bill  of  this  bird  is  singularly  curious;  the  edges  of 
the  upper  and  lower  gibbosities  have  each  twenty -three 
indentations,  or  strong  teeth,  on  each  side;  the  inside,  or 
concavity  of  the  upper  mandible,  has  also  seven  lateral  rows 
of  strong,  projecting  teeth ;  and  the  tongue,  which  is  horny 
at  the  extremity,  is  armed  on  each  side  with  thirteen  long 
and  sharp,  bony  teeth,  placed  like  those  of  a  saw,  with  their 
points  directed  backwards ;  the  tongue  turned  up,  and  viewed 
on  its  lower  side,  looks  very  much  like  a  human  finger  with 
its  nail.  This  conformation  of  the  mandibles,  exposing  two 
rows  of  strong  teeth,  has,  probably,  given  rise  to  the  epithet 
Laughing,  bestowed  on  one  of  its  varieties,  though  it  might, 
with  as  much  propriety,  have  been  named  the  Grinning 
Goose. 

The  specimen  from  which  the  above  description  was 
taken,  was  shot  on  the  Delaware,  below  Philadelphia,  on  the 
15th  of  February,  and  on  dissection  proved  to  be  a  male ; 
the  windpipe  had  no  labyrinth,  but.  for  an  inch  or  twa 


THE    SNOW    GOOSE.  121 

before  its  divarication  into  the  lungs,  was  inflexible^  not 
extensile,  like  the  rest,  and  rather  wider  in  diameter.  The 
gullet  had  an  expansion  before  entering  the  stomach,  which 
last  was  remarkably  strong,  the  two  great  grinding  muscles 
being  nearly  five  inches  in  diameter.  The  stomach  was 
filled  with  fragments  of  the  roots  of  reeds,  and  fine  sand. 
The  intestines  measured  eight  feet  in  length,  and  were  not 
remarkably  thick.     The  liver  was  small. 

ILLUSTRATIVE   ANECDOTES. 

Latham  observes  that  this  species  is  very  numerous  at 
Hudson's  Bay,  that  they  visit  Severn  river  in  May,  and 
stay  a  fortnight,  but  go  farther  north  to  breed ;  they  return 
to  Severn  Fort  the  beginning  of  September,  and  stay  till 
the  middle  of  October,  when  they  depart  for  the  south,  and 
are  observed  to  be  attended  by  their  young,  in  flocks  in- 
numerable. They  seem  to  occupy  also  the  western  side  of 
America,  as  they  were  seen  at  Aoonalashka,  as  well  as  Kam- 
tschatka.  White  Brant,  with  black  tips  to  their  wings,  were 
also  shot  by  Captains  Lewis  and  Clark's  exploring  party,  near 
the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  river,  which  were  probably  the 
same  as  the  present  species.  Mr.  Pennant  says,  "  They  are 
taken  by  the  Siberians  in  nets,  under  which  they  are  decoyed 
by  a  person  covered  with  a  white  skin,  and  crawling  on  all 
fours;  when,  others  driving  them,  these  stupid  birds,  mistak- 
ing him  for  their  leader,  fnllow  him,  when  they  are  entangled 
in  the  nets,  or  led  into  a  kind  of  pond  made  for  the  pur« 
8 


122  THE    ALBATROSS. 

pose!"     We  might  here,  with  propriety,  add — This  wanti 
confirmation. 


THE  WANDERINO  ALBATROSS.      {Diomedea 
exulans.j 

This  bird  is  found  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  from  Southern 
Africa  to  the  American  coast,  as  well  as  in  the  Pacific. 
There  are  three  species  of  the  genus,  viz :  the  Albatross  of 
China;  the  Yellow  and  Black-beaked  Albatross,  and  the 
Common  or  Wandering  Albatross. 

The  Common  Albatross  is  the  species  which  is  most  fre- 
quently met  with  in  the  seas  of  Southern  Africa.  It  is  the 
largest  sea-bird  known.  On  account  of  its  size  and  colour 
it  is  often  called  the  Sheep  of  the  Cape, — ^a  name  under 
which  it  is  found  in  several  voyages.  The  top  of  the  head 
is  a  ruddy  gray ;  the  rest  of  the  plumage  is  white,  with  the 
exception  of  several  transverse  black  bands  on  the  back,  and 
a  few  of  the  wing-feathers.  The  feet  and  membrane  are  of 
a  deep  flesh-colour  ;  the  bill  a  pale  yellow. 

The  weight  of  this  bird  has  been  variously  stated,  at  from 
twelve  to  twenty-eight  pounds;  and  a  similar  difference 
appears  to  exist  in  authors,  with  respect  to  the  distance 
between  the  extremity  of  the  extended  wings.  Forster  says 
about  ten  feet, — Parkins,  eleven  feet  seven  inches, — Cook, 
eleven  feet;  another  says  twelve  feet;  a  specimen  in  tho 


THE     ALBATROSS.  12S 

Leverinn  museum  measured  thirteen  feet;  and  Ires  (p.  5), 
mentions  one,  shot  off  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  which 
measured  seventeen  feet  and  a  half  from  wing  to  wing.  Dr. 
Arnott,  in  his  Physics,  says, — "  How  powerful  must  be  the 
wing-muscles  of  birds,  which  sustain  themselves  in  the  pky 
for  hours  together  !  The  Great  Albatross,  with  wings  extend- 
ing fourteen  feet  or  more,  is  seen  in  the  stormy  solitude  of 
the  Southern  Ocean,  accompanying  ships  for  whole  days 
without  ever  resting  on  the  waves  !" 

We  can,  from  this  circumstance,  readily  understand  the 
extensive  range  in  which  the  Albatross  is  found ;  not  being 
confined,  as  Buffon  imagined,  to  the  Southern  Ocean,  but 
being  equally  abundant  in  the  northern  latitudes,  though 
Forster  says,  he  never  observed  it  within  the  tropics.  These 
birds  are  seen  in  immense  flocks  about  Behring's  Straits 
apd  Kamtschatka,  about  the  end  of  June,  frequenting  chiefly 
the  inner  sea,  the  Kurile  Islands,  and  the  Bay  of  Pent- 
schinensi,  whereas  scarcely  a  straggler  is  to  be  seen  on  the 
eastern  or  American  shore.  They  seem  to  be  attracted 
thither  by  vast  shoals  of  fish,  whose  migratory  movements 
the  albatrosses  follow.  On  their  first  appearing  in  those 
seas,  they  are  very  lean,  but,  from  finding  abundance  of 
food,  they  soon  become  fat.  Their  voracity  is  so  great,  that 
they  will  often  swallow  a  salmon  of  four  or  five  pounds 
weight,  and  then,  being  half  choked,  and  unable,  in  con- 
sequence, to  move,  the  natives  easily  knock  them  down 
with  a  stick. 


124  THE     ALBATROSS. 

Tliey  do  not,  however,  confine  themselves  to  fish,  but 
will  prey  on  any  other  sea-animal  j  and  Cook's  sailors 
caught  them  with  a  line  and  a  hook.  The  Kamtschadalea 
take  them  by  fastening  a  cord  to  a  large  hook,  baited  with 
a  whole  fish,  which  the  birds  greedily  seize.  Their  usual 
food,  however,  seems  rather  to  be  fish-spawn  and  small 
molluscae.  M.  Querhoent  never  found  in  their  stomachs 
anything  besides  a  thick  mucilage. 

Notwithstanding  their  strength,  they  never  venture  to 
attack  other  sea-birds,  but  are,  on  the  contrary,  attacked  by 
the  gulls.  *'  Several  large  grey  gulls,"  says  Cook,  "  that 
were  pursuing  a  white  albatross,  afforded  us  a  diverting 
spectacle ;  they  overtook  it,  notwithstanding  the  length  of 
its  v.ings,  and  they  tried  to  attack  it  under  the  belly,  that 
part  being  probably  defenceless ;  the  albatross  had  now  no 
means  of  escaping,  but  bj^  dipping  its  body  into  the  water  j 
its  formidable  bill  seemed  to  repel  them." 

Their  flesh  is  tough  and  dry;  but  the  Kamtschadales 
take  them  for  the  sake  of  their  entrails,  which  they  blow 
and  use  as  buoys  for  their  nets.  They  employ  the  wing- 
bones  also,  which  Edwards  says  are  as  long  as  their  whole 
body,  for  tobacco  pipes. 


THE    SWAN.  1^ 

THE  SWAN.     (Anas  Cygnus.) 

So  much  difference  is  thero  between  this  bird  when  on 
land  and  in  the  water,  that  it  is  hardly  to  be  supposed  the 
same;  for  in  the  latter,  no  bird  can  possibly  exceed  it  for 
beauty  and  majestic  appearance.  When  it  ascends  from 
its  favourite  element,  its  motions  are  awkward,  and  its  neck  is 
stretched  forward  with  an  air  of  stupidity;  it  has,  indeed, 
the  air  of  being  only  a  larger  sort  of  goose ;  but  when  seen 
smoothly  gliding  along  the  water,  displaying  a  thousand 
graceful  attitudes,  and  moving  at  pleasure  without  the 
smallest  apparent  effort,  there  is  not  a  more  beautiful  figure 
in  all  nature.  In  its  form,  we  find  no  broken  or  harsh 
lines;  in  its  motions,  nothing  constrained  or  abrupt;  but 
the  roundest  contours,  and  the  easiest  transitions ;  the  eye 
wanders  over  the  whole  with  unalloyed  pleasure,  and  with 
every  change  of  position  every  part  assumes  a  new  grace. 
It  will  swim  faster  than  a  man  can  walk. 

This  bird  has  long  been  rendered  domestic;  and  it  ia 
now  a  doubt  whether  there  be  any  of  the  tame  kind  in  a 
state  of  _  nature.  The  colour  of  the  tame  Swan  is  entirely 
white,  and  it  generally  weighs  full  twenty  pounds.  Under 
the  feathers  is  a  very  thick  soft  down,  which  is  made  an 
article  of  commerce,  for  purposes  of  both  use  and  ornament, 
The  windpipe  sinks  down  into  the  lungs  in  the  ordinary 
manner ;  and  it  is  the  most  silent  of  all  the  feathered  tribes ; 
it  can  do  nothing  more  than  hiss,  which  it  does  on  receiving 


126  THE     SWAN. 

any  provocation.     In  these  respects  it  is  very  different  from 
the  wild  or  Whistling  Swan. 

This  beautiful  bird  is  as  delicate  in  its  appetites  as  it  ia 
elegant  in  its  form.  Its  chief  food  is  corn,  bread,  herbs 
growing  in  the  water,  and  roots  and  seeds,  which  are  found 
near  the  margin.  At  the  time  of  incubation  it  prepares  a 
nest  in  some  retired  part  of  the  bank,  and  chiefly  where 
there  is  an  inlet  in  the  stream.  This  is  composed  of  water 
plants,  long  grass,  and  sticks :  and  the  male  and  female 
assist  in  forming  it  with  great  assiduity.  The  Swan  lays 
seven  or  eight  eggs,  white,  one  every  other  day,  much 
larger  than  those  of  a  goose,  with  a  hard,  and  sometimes  a 
tuberous  shell.  It  sits  six  weeks  before  its  young  are 
excluded ;  which  are  ash-coloured  when  they  first  leave  the 
shell,  and  for  some  months  after.  It  is  not  a  little  dangerous 
to  approach  the  old  ones,  when  their  little  family  are  feed- 
ing round  them.  Their  fears,  as  well  as  their  pride,  seem 
to  take  the  alarm,  and  when  in  danger,  the  old  birds  carry 
off  the  young  ones  on  their  back.  A  female  has  been 
known  to  attack  and  drown  a  fox,  which  was  swimming 
towards  her  nest ;  they  are  able  to  throw  down  and  trample 
on  youths  of  fifteen  or  sixteen ;  and  an  old  Swan  can  break 
the  leg  of  a  man  with  a  single  stroke  of  its  wing. 


THE     CuOT.  12t 

THE  CINEREOUS  COOT.     {Fulica  I^ertcana.) 

This  species  maites  its  appearance  in  Pennsylvania  about 
the  first  of  October.  Among  the  muddy  flats  and  islands 
of  the  river  Delaware,  which  are  periodically  overflowed, 
and  which  are  overgrown  with  the  reed,  or  wild  oats,  and 
rushes,  the  Coots  are  found.  They  are  not  numerous,  and 
are  seldom  seen,  except  their  places  of  resort  be  covered 
with  water ;  in  that  case  they  are  generally  found  sitting  on 
the  fallen  reed,  waiting  for  the  ebbing  of  the  tide,  which 
•will  enable  them  to  feed.  Their  food  consists  of  various 
aquatic  plants,  seeds,  insects,  and,  it  is  said,  small  fish. 

The  Coot  has  an  aversion  to  take  wing,  and  can  seldom 
be  sprung  in  its  retreat  at  low  water ;  for,  although  it  walks 
3rather  awkwardly,  yet  it  contrives  to  skulk  through  the 
grass  and  reeds  with  great  speed,  the  compressed  form  of 
its  body,  like  that  of  the  rail  genus,  being  weU  adapted  to 
the  purpose.  It  swims  remarkably  veil,  and,  when  wounded, 
will  dive  like  a  duck.  When  closely  pursued  in  the  water, 
it  generally  takes  to  the  shore,  rising  with  apparent  rcluo- 
tance,  like  a  wounded  duck,  and  fluttering  along  the  surface, 
with  its  feet  pattermg  on  the  water.  It  is  known  in  Penn- 
sylvania by  the  name  of  the  Mud-Hen. 

I  have  never  yet  discovered  that  this  species  breeds  with 
us  (says  Wilson),  though  it  is  highly  probable  that  soiae 
few  may  occupy  the  marshes  of  the  interior,  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  ponds  and  lakes,  for  this  purpose ;  those  retired  situ- 


128  THE     COOT. 

ationB  being  well  adapted  to  the  hatching  and  rearing  of 
their  young.  In  the  Southern  States,  particularly  South 
Carolina,  they  are  well  known ;  but  the  Floridas  appear  to 
be  their  principal  rendezvous  for  the  business  of  incubation. 
"  The  Coot,"  says  William  Bartram,  "  is  a  native  of  North 
America,  from  Pennsylvania  to  Florida.  They  inhabit 
large  rivers,  fresh-water  inlets  or  bays,  lagoons,  &c.,  where 
they  swim  and  feed  amongst  the  reeds  and  grass  of  the 
shores ;  particularly  in  the  river  St.  Juan,  in  East  Florida ; 
where  they  are  found  in  immense  flocks.  They  are  loqua- 
cious and  noisy,  talking  to  one  another  night  and  day ;  are 
constantly  on  the  water,  the  broad,  lobated  membranes  on 
their  toes  enabling  them  to  swim  and  dive  like  ducks." 

The  Coot  inhabits  the  shores  of  Sweden  and  Norway; 
appears  in  the  spring,  and  very  rarely  visits  the  lakes  or ' 
moors.     Is  found  in  Ilussia,  China,  Persia,  Greenland,  and 
Siberia.     It  is  common  in  France,  particularly  in  Lorraine. 

"  This  species  is  met  with  in  Great  Britain,  at  all  seasons 
of  the  year ;  and  it  is  generally  believed,  that  it  does  not 
migrate  to  other  countries,  but  changes  its  stations,  and 
removes  in  the  autumn  from  the  lesser  pools,  or  lough<?, 
where  the  young  have  been  reared,  to  the  larger  lakes, 
where  flocks  assemble  in  the  winter.  The  female  commonly 
builds  her  nest  in  a  bunch  of  rushes,  surrounded  by  the 
water;  it  is  composed  of  a  great  quantity  of  coarse  dri(Hi 
weeds,  well  matted  together,  and  lined  within  with  softer 
and  finer  grasses  ;  she  lays  from  twelve  to  fifteen  eggs  at  » 


THE     COOT.  129 

time,  and  commonly  hatches  twice  in  a  season;  her  eggs 
are  about  the  size  of  those  of  a  pullet,  and  are  of  a  pale 
brownish  white  colour,  sprinkled  with  numerous  small,  dark, 
epots,  which  at  the  thicker  end,  seem  as  if  they  had  run 
into  each  other,  and  formed  bigger  blotches. 

"  As  soon  as  the  young  quit  the  shell,  they  plunge  into 
the  water,  dive,  and  swim  about  with  great  ease ;  but  they 
still  gather  together  about  the  mother,  and  take  shelter 
under  her  wings,  and  do  not  entirely  leave  her  for  some 
time.  They  are  at  first  covered  with  sooty  coloured  down, 
and  are  of  a  shapeless  appearance ;  while  they  are  in  this 
state,  and  before  they  have  learned  by  experience  to  shun 
danger,  the  kite,  moor  buzzard,  and  others  of  the  hawk 
tribe,  make  dreadful  havoc  among  them." 
■■  The  Cinereous  Coot  is  sixteen  inches  in  length,  and 
twenty-eight  in  extent;  bill,  one  inch  and  a  half  long, 
white,  the  upper  mandible  slightly  notched  near  the  tip, 
and  marked  across  with  a  band  of  chestnut,  the  lower  man- 
dible marked  on  each  side  with  a  squarish  spot  of  the  like 
colour,  edged  on  the  lower  part  with  bright  yellow,  or  gam- 
boge, thence  to  the  tip,  pale  horn  colour ;  membrane  of  the 
forehead,  dark  chestnut  brown;  irides,  cornelian  red; 
beneath  the  eye,  in  most  specimens,  a  whitish  spot;  the 
head  and  neck  are  of  a  deep  shining  black,  resembling 
satin;  back  and  scapulars,  dirty  greenish  olive;  shoulders, 
breast,  and  wing-coverts,  slate  blue;  the  under  parts  are 
hoary;  vent  black;  beneath  the  tail,  pure  white;  primaries 


180  THE      COOT. 

and  secondaries,  slate,  the  former  tipped  with  black,  the 
latter  with  white,  which  does  not  appear  when  the  wing  \i 
closed ;  outer  edges  of  the  wings,  white ;  legs  and  toes  yel- 
lowish green,  the  scalloped  membrane  of  the  latter,  lead 
colour;  middle  toe,  including  the  claw,  three  inches  and 
thrce-ouarters  long. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

BufFon  describes  the  mode  of  shooting  Coots  in  France, 
particularly  in  Lorraine,  on  the  great  pools  of  Tiaucourt, 
and  of  Indre ;  hence  we  are  led  to  suppose;,  that  they  are 
esteemed  as  an  article  of  food.  But  with  us,  who  are 
enabled,  by  the  abundance  and  variety  of  game,  to  indulge 
in  greater  luxuries  in  that  season  when  our  Coots  visit  us, 
they  are  considered  as  of  no  account,  and  are  seldom  eaten.  * 

The  European  ornithologists  represent  the  membrane  on 
the  forehead  of  the  Coot  as  white,  except  in  the  breeding 
season,  when  it  is  said  to  change  its  colour  to  pale  red. 
This  circumstance  would  induce  one  to  suppose,  that  our 
Coot  is  a  different  species  from  the  European,  which  I  have 
never  had  the  satisfaction  to  behold;  and,  indeed,  I  am 
much  of  that  opinion. 

It  is  a  very  rare  occurrence,  that  the  Coot  is  seen  in  the 
vicinity  of  Philadelphia  in  the  spring  or  summer.  The 
19th  of  March,  1814,  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  beirg  pre- 
sented with  one,  a  female,  which  was  shot  in  the  Schuylkill, 
At  Gray's  Ferry.     I  could  see  no  difference  in  its  plumage 


THE     SUMMER    DUCK.  131 

and  markings,  from  those  of  the  full-grown  male,  except 
the  head  and  neck  not  being  of  so  deep  a  black.  The 
membrane  on  the  forehead  was  not  more  than  half  the 
size  of  that  of  the  female  specimen,  described  above,  and  it 
was  of  the  same  colour,  viz.,  dark  chestnut.  All  the  birds 
which  I  have  ever  seen,  had  this  appendage  of  the  same 
colour. 

In  Lewis  and  Clark's  history  of  their  expedition,  mention 
is  made  of  a  bird  which  is  common  on  the  Columbia ;  is 
said  to  be  very  noisy,  to  have  a  sharp,  shrill  whistle,  and 
to  associate  in  large  flocks ;  it  is  called  the  Black  Duck. 
This  is  doubtless  a  species  of  Coot,  but  whether  or  not  dif- 
ferent from  ours,  cannot  be  ascertained.  How  much  is  it 
to  be  regretted,  that,  in  an  expedition  of  discovery,  planned 
*  and  fitted  out  by  an  enlightened  government,  furnished 
with  every  means  for  safety,  subsistence,  and  research,  not 
one  naturalist,  not  one  draughtsman,  should  have  been  sent, 
to  observe  and  perpetuate  the  infinite  variety  of  natural 
productions,  many  of  which  are  entirely  unknown  to  the 
community  of  science,  which  that  extensive  tour  must  have 
revealed ! 


TEE  SUMMER,  or  WOOD  DUCK.     (Anas  sponsa.) 

This  most  beautiful  of  Ducks  (says  Nuttall)  seems  to  be 
dressed  in  a  studied  attire,  to  which  the  addition  of  a  flow- 


It2  THE     SUMMER     DUCK.     . 

ing  crest  adds  a  finish  of  peculiar  elegance;  and  henoi 
LinnfBus  has  dignified  the  species  with  the  title  of  Sponsa^ 
or  the  Bride.  This  splendid  bird  is  peculiar  to  America, 
but  extends  its  residence  from  the  cold  regions  of  Hudson's 
Bay,  in  the  54th  parallel,  to  Mexico  and  the  Antilles. 
Throughout  a  great  part  of  this  vast  space,  or  at  least  as  far 
south  as  Florida  and  the  'Mississippi  territory,  the  Summer 
Buck  is  known  to  breed.  In  the  interior  they  are  also 
found  in  the  state  of  Missouri,  and  along  the  woody  borders 
and  still  streams  which  flow  into  most  of  the  great  north- 
western lakes  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  The  Summer  Duck,  so 
called  from  its  constant  residence  in  the  United  States,  has 
indeed  but  little  predilection  for  the  sea-coast,  its  favourite 
haunts  being  the  solitary,  deep,  and  still  waters,  ponds, 
woody  lakes,  and  the  mill-dams  in  the  interior,  making  its 
nest  often  in  decatyed  and  hollow  trees  impending  over  the 
water. 

Though  many  migrate  probably  to  the  shores  of  tho 
Mexican  Gulf,  numbers  pass  the  winter  in  the  states  south 
of  Virginia.  Early  in  February  they  are  seen  associated 
by  pairs  on  the  inundated  banks  of  the  Alabama,  and  are 
frequent  at  the  same  season  in  the  waters  of  West  Florida. 
In  Pennsylvania  they  usually  nest  late  in  April  or  early  in 
May,  choosing  the  hollow  of  some  broken  or  decayed  tree, 
and  sometimes  even  constructing  a  rude  nest  of  sticks  in  the 
forks  of  branches.  The  eggs,  twelve  or  thirteen,  are  yeliow- 
ish-whitc,  rather  less  than  those  of  the  domestic  hen,  and 


THE     SUMMER     DUCK,  133 

they  are  usually  covered  with  down,  prohably  plucked  from 
the  breast  of  the  parent.  The  same  tree  is  sometimes 
occupied,  by  the  same  pair,  for  several  successive  years,  in 
the  breeding  season.  The  young,  when  hatched,  are  carried 
down  in  the  bill  of  the  female,  and  afterwards  conducted  by 
her  to  the  nearest  water.  To  these  places,  when  once 
selected^  if  not  disturbed,  they  sometimes  show  a  strong 
predilection,  and  are  not  easily  induced  to  forsake  the 
premises,  however  invaded  by  noise  and  busile.  While  the 
female  is  sitting,  the  male  is  usually  perched  on  some 
adjoining  limb  of  the  same  tree,  keeping  watch  for  their 
common  safety.  The  species  is  scarcely  ever  gj-egarious, 
they  are  only  seen  in  pairs  or  by  families.  The  common 
note  of  the  drake  is  peet,  peet ;  but  when  on  his  post  as 
sentinel,  on  espying  danger,  he  makes  a  sort  of  crowing 
noise,  like  'hoo  eek,  'hoo  eek. 

The  food  of  the  Wood  Duck  consists  principally  of  acorns, 
the  seeds  of  aquatic  plants,  such  as  the  Wild  Oat,  Ruppia, 
&c.,  and  insects,  which  inhabit  in  or  near  waters;  and  I 
have  seen  a  fine  male  whose  stomach  was  wholly  filled  with 
a  mass  of  the  small  coleoptera,  called  Donattas,  which  are 
seen  so  nimbly  flying  over  or  resting  on  the  leaves  of  the 
pond  lily ;  they  are  therefore  very  alert  in  quest  of  their 
prey,  or  they  could  never  capture  these  wary  insects.  They 
are  not  uncommon  in  the  markets  of  the  Eastern  and  Middle 
States,  and  are  justly  esteemed  as  food. 

The  Wood  Duck  has  sometimes  been  tamed,  and  soon 


134  THE     SUMMER     DU  UK. 

becomes  familiar.  They  have  even  been  so  for  domesticated 
as  to  run  about  at  large  in, the  barn-yard  like  ordinary  fowls. 
In  France  they  have  also  been  acclimated  and  tamed,  and 
have  bred  in  this  condition. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

The  Summer  Duck  is  equally  well  known  in  Mexico  and 
many  of  the  "West  India  islands.  During  the  whole  of  our 
winters,  they  are  occasionally  seen  in  the  states  south  of 
the  Potomac.  On  the  10th  of  January  (says  "Wilson),  I 
met  with  two  on  a  creek  near  Petersburgh,  in  Virginia.  In 
the  more  northern  districts,  however,  they  are  migratory. 
In  Pennsylvania,  the  female  usually  begins  to  lay  late  in 
April  or  early  in  May.  Instances  have  been  known  whero 
the  nest  was  constructed  of  a  few  sticks  laid  in  a  fork  of 
the  branches ;  usually,  however,  the  inside  of  a  hoUow  tree 
is  selected  for  this  purpose. 

On  the  18th  of  May  I  visited  a  tree  containing  the  nest 
of  a  Summer  Duck,  on  the  banks  of  Tuckahoe  river,  New 
Jersey.  It  was  an  old,  grotesque  white  oak,  whose  top  had 
been  torn  off  by  a  storm.  It  stood  on  the  declivity  of  the 
bank,  about  twenty  yards  from  the  water.  In  this  hollow 
and  broken  top,  and  about  six  feet  down,  on  the  so't,  de- 
cayed wood,  lay  thirteen  eggs,  snugly  covered  with  «1.own, 
doubtless  taken  from  the  breast  of  the  bird.  These  eggs 
were  of  an  exact  oval  shape,  less  than  those  of  a  hen  the 
•orface  exceedingly  fine  grained,  and  of  the  highest  pc  'sb, 


THE     SUMM..R    DUCK.  135 

and  slightly  yellowish,  greatly  resembling  old,  polished 
ivory.  The  egg  measured  two  inches  and  an  eighth  by  one 
inch  and  a  half.  On  breaking  one  of  them,  the  young  bird 
was  found  to  be  nearly  hatched,  but  dead,  as  neither  of  the 
parents  had  been  observed  about  the  tree  during  the  three 
or  four  days  preceding,  and  were  conjectured  to  have  been 
shot. 

This  tree  had  been  occupied,  probably  by  the  same  pair, 
fbr  four  successive  years,  in  breeding  time ;  the  person  who 
gave  me  the  information,  and  whose  house  was  within 
twenty  or  thirty  yards  of  the  tree,  said  that  he  had  seen 
the  female,  the  spring  preceding,  carry  down  thirteen  young, 
one  by  one,  in  less  than  ten  minutes.  She  caught  them  in 
her  bill  by  the  wing  or  back  of  the  neck,  and  landed  them 
safely  at  the  foot  of  the  tree,  whence  she  afterwards  led 
them  to  the  water. 

Under  this  same  tree,  at  the  time  I  visited  it,  a  large 
sloop  lay  on  the  stocks,  nearly  finished ;  the  deck  was  not 
more  than  twelve  feet  distant  from  the  nest,  yet  notwith- 
standing the  presence  and  noise  of  the  workmen,  the  Ducks 
would  not  abandon  their  old  breeding  place,  but  continued 
to  pass  out  and  in,  as  if  no  person  had  been  near.  The 
male  usually  perched  on  an  adjoining  limb,  and  kept  watch 
while  the  female  was  laying,  and  also  often  while  she  wa^ 
sitting.  A  tame  goose  had  chosen  a  hollow  space  at  the 
root  of  the  same  tree,  to  lay  and  hatch  her  young  in. 


136  THE     SUMMER     DUCK. 

Tbe  Summer  Duck  seldom  flies  in  flocks  of  more  than 
three  or  four  individuals  together,  and  most  commonly  in 
pairs,  or  singly.  Their  flesh  is  inferior  to  that  of  the  blue- 
winged  teal.  They  are  frequent  in  the  markets  of  Phila- 
delphia. 

Among  other  gaudy  feathers  with  which  the  Indians 
ornament  the  calumet  or  pipe  of  peace,  the  skin  of  the  head 
and  neck  of  the  Summer  Duck  is  frequently  seen  covering 
the  stem. 

This  beautiful  bird  has  often  been  tamed,  and  soon 
becomes  so  familiar  as  to  permit  one  to  stroke  its  back  with 
the  hand.  I  have  seen  individuals  so  tamed,  in  various 
parts  of  the  Union.  Captain  Boyer,  collector  of  the  port 
of  Havre-de-Grace,  informs  me,  that,  about  forty  years  ago, 
a  Mr.  Nathan  Nicols,  who  lived  on  the  west  side  of  Gun- 
powder Creek,  had  a  whole  yard  swarming  with  Summer 
Ducks,  which  he  had  tamed  and  completely  domesticated, 
so  that  they  bred  and  were  as  familiar  as  any  other  tame 
fowls;  that  he  (Captain  Boyer)  himself  saw  them  in  that 
state,  but  does  not  know  what  became  of  them.  Latham 
says,  that  they  are  often  kept  in  European  menageries,  and 
wiU  breed  there. 


HE     COMMON     DUCK.  WIf 

THE   COMMON  DUCK,  or  MALLARD.     (Anas 
domestica.) 

The  Mallard,  or  original  of  our  domestic  Duck,  like  so 
many  other  specias  (says  Mr.  Nuttall)  is  common  to  most 
parts  of  the  northern  hemisphere.  As  a  bird  of  passage, 
in  spring  and  autumn,  it  is  seen  in  every  part  of  the  United 
States,  and  indeed  inhabits  more  or  less  the  whole  continent, 
firom  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the  68th  parallel  in  the  fur 
countries  of  the  Canadian  wilderness.  In  Europe  it  is  met 
with  everywhere,  up  to  the  dreary  climates  of  Greenland, 
where  many  even  pass  the  greater  part  of  the  winter. 
They  breed  in  the  inland  woody  districts  of  the  fur  countries, 
and  more  or  loss  through  all  the  intermediate  space  as  far 
south  as  Pennsylvania.  In  England  also,  as  well  as  in 
Sweden,  Denmark,  Ger  many,  and  all  parts  of  the  vast  domi- 
nions of  Russia,  no  less  than  Arctic  Europe,  and  the 
Aleutian  Islands  in  khe  north  Pacific,  the  Wild  Duck  is 
known  to  breed.  Thi  j  nest  commonly  on  the  borders  of 
rivers  and  lakes,  somf  'imes  at  a  considerable  distance  from 
water,  amongst  reeds,  grass,  or  in  fields  and  copses,  accord- 
ing to  the  conveniene:;  of  the  locality,  and  occasionally  even 
upon  trees  impending  over  waters.  For  its  nest  it  scrapes 
together  a  smaU  quai  tity  of  such  dry  weeds  as  happen  to 
be  contiguou(i  and  kys  from  ten  to  eighteen  eggs  of  a 
bluish  wJt>:t*>  A  i  *b«  time  of  incubation,  the  female  jplucka 
9 


138  THB    COMMON     DUCK. 

the  down  from  her  breast  to  line  the  nest,  and  frequently 
covers  the  eggs  when  she  leaves  them. 

ILLUSTRAXIVE   ANECDOTES. 

The  Buck,  like  other  birds  whose  young  ones  run  as  soon 
as  they  are  hatched,  generally  deposits  her  eggs  on  the 
ground ;  but  there  are  some  exceptions  to  this  rule.  Mr. 
Selby  says :  "  Such  an  instance  once  occurred  within  my 
knowledge,  and  near  my  own  residence,  where  a  Wild  Duck 
laid  her  eggs  in  the  old  nest  of  a  crow,  at  least  thirty  feet 
from  the  ground.  At  this  elevation  she  hatched  her  young ; 
and  as  none  of  them  were  found  dead  beneath  the  tree,  it 
is  presumed  she  carried  them  safely  to  the  ground  in  her 
bill,  a  mode  of  conveyance  known  to  be  frequently  adopted 
by  the  Eider  Duck."  Montagu  says,  "  We  have  been  assured 
by  a  person  of  undoubted  veracity  that  a  half  domesticated 
Duck  made  a  nest  in  Rumford  Tower,  hatched  her  young, 
and  brought  them  down  in  safety  to  a  piece  of  water  at  a 
considerable  distance.  Others  have  been  known  to  breed 
in  trees ;  and  we  recollect  the  nest  of  this  bird  being  found 
in  the  head  of  an  old  pollard  willow,  impending  the  water, 
from  whence  the  young  might  readily  drop  unhurt  into  their 
natural  element.  Mr.  Tunstall  mentions  one,  at  Etching- 
ham,  in  Sussex,  which  was  found  sitting  upon  nine  eggs, 
on  an  oak-tree,  twenty-five  feet  from  the  ground :  and  the 
author  of  the  <  Rural  Sports'  records  an  instance  of  one 
iaking  possessiot.  of  the  nest  of  a  hawk  in  a  large  oak.    To 


THE     CANVASS-BACK     DUCK.  139 

these  we  can  add,  upon  the  testimony  of  a  gentleman  of  the 
strictest  veracity,  that  out  of  a  large  flock  of  half-domesti- 
cated Ducks,  one  deposited  her  eggs  in  the  principal  fork 
of  a  large  tree  near  his  house.  Eggs,  ten  to  fourteen,  of  a 
bluish-white ;  the  female,  when  she  quits  the  nest  for  food; 
covers  them  with  down  and  other  substances. 


THE  CANVASS-BACK  DUCK.     (Anas  valisineria.) 

This  celebrated  American  species  (says  Mr.  Wilson),  as 
far  as  can  be  judged  from  the  best  figures  and  descriptions 
of  foreign  birds,  is  altogether  unknown  in  Europe.  It 
approaches  nearest  to  the  pochard  of  England,  but  differs 
from  that  hird  in  being  superior  in  size  and  weight,  in  tho 
greater  magnitude  of  its  bill,  and  the  general  whiteness  of 
its  plumage.  A  short  comparison  of  the  two  will  elucidate 
this  point :  The  Canvass-Back  measures  two  feet  in  length 
by  three  feet  in  extent,  and,  when  in  the  best  order,  weighs 
three  pounds  and  upwards.  The  pochard,  according  to 
Latham  and  Bewick,  measures  nineteen  inches  in  length, 
and  thirty  in  extent,  and  weighs  one  pound  twelve  or  thirteen 
ounces.  The  latter  writer  says  of  the  pochard,  "  The  plu- 
mage, above  and  below,  is  wholly  covered  with  prettily- 
freckled,  slender,  dusky  threads,  disposed  transversely  in 


140  THE     CANVASS-BACK     DUCK. 

close-set,  zigzag  lines,  on  a  pale  ground,  more  or  less  shaded 
off  with  ash,"  —  a  description  much  more  applicable  to  tie 
red-head,  which,  very  probably,  is  the  species  meant. 

In  the  figure  of  the  pochard  given  by  Mr.  Bewick,  who 
13  generally  correct,  the  bill  agrees  very  well  with  that  of 
our  red-head ;  but  is  scarcely  half  the  size  and  thickness 
of  that  of  the  Canvass-Back  ;  and  the  figure  in  the  Planches 
Enluminees  corresponds,  in  that  respect,  with  Bewick's. 
In  short,  either  these  writers  are  egregiously  erroneous  in 
their  figures  and  descriptions,  or  the  present  Duck  was 
altogether  unknown  to  them.  Considering  the  latter  sup- 
position the  more  probable  of  the  two,  I  have  designated 
this  as  a  new  species,  and  shall  proceed  to  detail  some  par- 
ticulars of  its  history. 

The  Canvass-Back  Duck  •  arrives  in  the  United  States 
from  the  north  about  the  middle  of  October ;  a  few  descend 
to  the  Hudson  and  Delaware,  but  the  great  body  of  these 
birdrt  resort  to  the  numerous  rivers  belonging  to  and  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Chesapeake  Bay,  particularly  the  Sus- 
quehanna, the  Patapsco,  Potomac,  and  James  rivers,  which 
appear  to  be  their  general  winter  rendezvous.  Beyond  this, 
to  the  south,  I  can  find  no  certain  accounts  of  them.  At 
the  Susquehanna,  they  are  called  Canvass-Backs ;  on  the 
Potomac,  White-Backs;  and  on  James  river.  Sheldrakes, 
They  are  seldom  found  at  a  great  distance  up  any  of 
these  rivers,  or  even  in  the  salt-water  bay;  but  in  that 
pafticular  part  of  tide  water  where  a  certain  grasa-like  plant 


THE     CANVASS-BACK    DUCK.  141 

grows,  on  the  roots  of  which  they  feed.  This  plant,  whicr 
is  said  to  be  a  species  of  valisineria,  grows  on  fresh-water 
shoais  of  from  seven  to  nine  feet  (but  never  where  these 
are  oecasionally  dry),  in  long,  narrow,  grass-like  blades,  of 
four  or  five  feet  in  length ;  the  root  is  white,  and  has  some 
resemblance  to  small  celery.  This  grass  is  in  many  places 
so  thitk  that  a  boat  can  with  difficulty  be  rowed  through  it, 
it  so  impedes  the  oars.  The  shores  are  lined  with  large 
quantities  of  it,  torn  up  by  the  Ducks,  and  drifted  up  by 
the  winds,  lying,  like  hay,  in  windrows. 

Wherever  this  plant  grows  in  abundance,  the  Canvasa- 
Backs  may  be  expected,  either  to  pay  occasional  visits,  or 
to  make  it  their  regular  residence  during  the  winter.  It 
occurs  in  some  parts  of  the  Hudson ;  in  the  Delaware,  near 
Gloucester,  a  few  miles  below  Philadelphia ;  and  in  most 
of  the  rivers  that  fall  into  the  Chesapeake,  to  each  of  which 
particular  places  these  Ducks  resort;  while,  in  waters 
unprovided  with  this  nutritive  plant,  they  are  altogether 
unknown. 

On  the  first  arrival  of  these  birds  in  the  Susquehanna, 
near  Havre-de-Grace,  they  are  generally  lean ;  but  such  is 
the  abundance  of  their  favourite  food  that,  towards  the 
beginning  of  November,  they  are  in  pretty  good  order. 
They  are  excellent  divers,  and  swim  with  great  speed  and 
agility.  They  sometimes  assemble  in  such  multitudes  as  * 
to  cover  several  acres  of  the  river,  and  when  they  rise  sud- 
denly, produce  a  noise  resembling  thunder.      Tliey  float 


.142  THE    CANVASS-BACK     DUCK. 

about  these  shoals,  divnng,  and  tearing  up  the  grass  by  th« 
roots,  which  is  the  only  part  they  eat.  They  are  extremely 
shy,  and  can  rarely  be  approached,  unless  by  stratagem. 
When  wounded  in  the  wing,  they  dive  to  such  prodigious 
distances,  and  with  such  rapidity,  continuing  it  so  perse- 
veringly,  and  with  such  cunning  and  active  vigour,  as 
almost  always  to  render  the  pursuit  hopeless. 

From  the  great  demand  for  these  Ducks,  and  the  high 
price  they  uniformly  bring  in  market,  various  modes  are 
practised  to  get  within  gunshot  of  them.  The  most  suc- 
cessful way  is  said  to  be  decoying  them  to  the  shore  by 
means  of  a  dog,  while  the  gunner  lies  closely  concealed  in 
a  proper  situation.  The  dog,  if  properly  trained,  plays 
backwards  and  forwards  along  the  margin  of  the  water ;  and 
the  Ducks,  observing  his  manoeuvres,  enticed  perhaps  by 
curiosity,  gradually  approach  the  shore,  until  they  are  some- 
times within  twenty  or  thirty  yards  of  the  spot  where  the 
gunner  lies  concealed,  and  from  which  he  rakes  them,  first 
on  the  water,  and  then  as  they  rise.  This  method  is  called 
.jlling  them  in.  If  the  Ducks  seem  difficult  to  decoy,  any 
glaring  object,  such  as  a  red  handkerchief,  is  fixed  round 
the  dog's  middle,  or  to  his  tail;  and  this  rarely  fails  to 
attract  them.  Sometimes,  by  moonlight,  the  sportsman 
directs  his  skiff  towards  a  flock  whose  position  he  had  pre- 
Tiously  ascertained,  keeping  within  the  projecting  shadow 
of  some  wood,  bank,  or  headland,  and  paddles  along  so 
tdlently  and  imperceptibly  as  often  to  approach  within  fif^^en 


THE     CANVASS-BACK     DUCK.  148 

or  twenty  yards  of  a  flock  of  many  thousands,  anaong  whom 
he  generally  makes  great  slaughter. 

Many  other  stratagems  are  practised,  and,  indeed,  every 
plan  that  the  ingenuity  of  the  experienced  sportsman  can 
suggest,  to  approach  within  gunshot  of  these  birds ;  but,  of 
all  the  modes  pursued,  none  intimidate  them  so  much  as 
shooting  them  by  night ;  and  they  soon  abandon  the  place 
where  they  have  been  thus  repeatedly  shot  at.  During  the 
day,  they  are  dispersed  about;  but  towards  evening,  collect 
in  large  flocks,  and  come  into  the  .mouths  of  creeks,  where 
they  often  ride  as  at  anchor,  with  their  head  under  their 
wing,  asleep,  there  being  always  sentinels  awake,  ready  to 
raise  an  alarm  on  the  least  appearance  of  danger.  Even 
when  feeding  and  diving  in  small  parties,  the  whole  never 
go  down  at  one  time,  but  some  are  still  left  above  on  the 
look-out. 

When  the  winter  sets  in  severely,  and  the  river  is  frozen,, 
the  Canvass-Backs  retreat  to  its  confluence  with  the  bay, 
occasionally  frequenting  air-holes  in  the  ice,  which  are  some- 
times made  for  the  purpose,  immediately  above  their  favoui- 
Ue  grass,  to  entice  them  within  gunshot  of  the  hut  or  bush 
which  is  usually  fixed  at  a  proper  distanc'e,  and  where  the 
gunner  lies  concealed,  ready  to  take  advantage  of  their 
iistress. 

A  Mr.  Hill,  v/ho  lives  near  James  river,  at  a  place  called 
Herring  Creek,  informs  me,  that,  one  severe  winter,  he  and 
inother  person  broke  a  hole  in  the  ice,  about  twenty  by 


144  THE     CANVASS-BACK     DUCK. 

forty  feet,  immediately  over  a  shoal  of  grass,  and  took  their 
staud  on  the  shore  in  a  hut  of  brush,  each  having  three 
guns  well  loaded  with  large  shot.  The  Ducks,  which  were 
flying  up  and  down  the  river,  in  great  extremity,  soon 
crowded  to  this  place,  so  that  the  whole  open  space  was  not 
only  covered  with  them,  but  vast  numbers  stood  on  the  ice 
around  it.  They  had  three  rounds,  firing  both  at  once,  and 
picked  up  eighty-eight  Canvass-Backs,  and  might  have  col- 
lected more,  had  they  been  able  to  get  to  the  extremity  of 
the  ice  after  the  wounded  ones. 

In  the  severe  winter  of  1779-80,  the  grass,  on  the  roots 
of  which  these  birds  feed,  was  almost  wholly  destroyed  in 
James  river.  In  the  month  of  January,  the  wind  continued 
to  blow  from  W.  N.  W.  for  twenty-one  days,  which  caused 
such  low  tides  in  the  river,  that  the  grass  froze  to  the  ice 
everywhere ;  and,  a  thaw  coming  on  suddenly,  the  whole 
was  raised  by  the  roots,  and  carried  ofi"  by  the  freshet.  The 
next  winter,  a  few  of  these  Ducks  were  seen,  but  they  soon 
went  away  again ;  and,  for  many  years  after,  they  continued 
to  be  scarce;  and,  even  to  the  present  day,  in  the  opinion 
of  my  informant,  have  never  been  so  plenty  as  before. 

The  Canvass-Back,  in  the  rich  juicy  tenderness  of  its 
flesh,  and  its  delicacy  of  flavour,  stands  unrivalled  by  the 
whole  of  its  tribe  in  this  or  perhaps  in  any  other  quarter 
of  the  world.  Those  killed  in  the  waters  of  the  Chesapeake 
are  generally  esteemed  superior  to  all  others  doubtless  from 
the  great  abundance  of  their  favourite  food  which  these 


THE     CANVASS- BACK     DUCK.  145 

rivers  produce.  At  our  public  dinners,  hotels,  and  parti« 
cular  entertainments,  the  Canvass-Backs  are  universal 
favourites.  They  not  only  grace  but  dignify  the  table,  and 
their  very  name  conveys  to  the  imagination  of  the  eager 
epicure  the  most  comfortable  and  exhilarating  ideas.  Hence, 
on  such  occasions,  it  has  not  been  uncommon  to  pay  from 
one  to  three  dollars  a  pair  for  these  Ducks ;  and,  indeed,  at 
such  times,  if  they  can,  they  must  be  had,  whatever  may  be 
the  price.   * 

The  Canvass-Back  will  feed  readily  on  grain,  especially 
wheat,  and  may  be  decoyed  to  particular  places  by  baiting 
them  viih  that  grain  for  several  successive  days.  Some  few 
years  since,  a  vessel  loaded  with  wheat  was  wrecked  near 
the  entrance  of  Great  Egg  Harbor,  in  the  autumn,  and  went 
to  pieces.  The  wheat  floated  out  in  vast  quantities,  and  the 
•wViole  surface  of  the  bay  was  in  a  few  days  covered  with  Ducks 
of  a  kind  altogether  unknown  to  the  people  of  that  quarter. 
G^he  gunners  of  the  neighbourhood  collected  in  boats,  in  every 
direction,  shooting  them ;  and  so  successful  were  they,  that, 
as  Mr.  Beaseley  informs  me,  two  hundred  and  forty  were 
killed  in  one  day,  and  sold  among  the  neighbours,  at  twelve 
and  a  half  cents  apiece,  without  the  feathers.  The  wounded 
ones  were  generally  abandoned,  as  being  too  difficult  to 
be  come  up  with.  They  continued  about  for  three  weeks, 
and  during  the  greater  part  of  that  time  a  continual  can- 
nonading was  heard  from  every  quarter.  The  gunners 
called  them  Sea  Ducks.     They  were  all  Canvass-Backs,  at 


146  THE    CANVASS-BACK    DUCK. 

that  time  on  their  way  from  the  north,  when  this  floating  feast 
attracted  their  attention,  and  for  a  wliile  arrested  them  in 
their  course.  A  pair  of  these  very  Ducks  I  myself  bought 
in  Philadelphia  market  at  the  time,  from  an  Egg  Hirbor 
gunner,  and  never  met  with  their  superior,  either  in  weight 
or  excellence  of  flesh.  When  it  was  known  among  those 
people  the  loss  they  had  sustained  in  selling  for  twenty-five 
cents  what  would  have  brought  them  from  a  dollar  to  a 
dollar  and  a  half  per  pair,  universal  surprise  and  regret  were 
naturally  enough  excited. 

The  Canvass-Back  is  two  feet  long,  and  three  feet  in 
extent,  and,  when  in  good  order,  weighs  three  pounds ;  the 
bill  is  large,  rising  high  in  the  head,  three  inches  in  length, 
and  one  inch  and  three-eighths  thick  at  the  base,  of  a  glossy 
black;  eye,  very  small;  irides,  dark  red;  cheeks  and  fore  part 
of  the  head,  blackish-brown ;  rest  of  the  head  and  greater 
part  of  the  neck,  bright  glossy  reddish  chestnut,  ending  in  a 
broad  space  of  black  that  covers  the  upper  part  of  the  breast, 
and  spreads  round  to  the  back ;  back,  scapulars,  and  ter- 
tials,  white,  faintly  marked  with  an  infinite  number  of 
transverse,  waving  lines  or  points,  as  if  done  with  a  pencil ; 
whole  lower  parts  of  the  breast,  also  the  belly,  white, 
slightly  pencilled  in  the  same  manner,  scarcely  perceptible 
on  the  breast,  pretty  thick  towards  the  vent;  wing-coverts, 
gray,  with  numerous  specks  of  blackish ;  primaries  and 
secondaries,  pale  slate,  two  or  three  of  the  latter  of  which 
nearest  the  body  are  finely  edged  with  deep  velvety  black, 


THE    CANVASS-BACK    DUCK.  147 

the  former  dusky  at  the  tips ;  tail,  very  short,  pointed,  con- 
Bisl  ing  of  fourteen  feathers  of  a  hoary  brown ;  vent  and  tail- 
eoverts,  black ;  lining  of  the  wing,  white ;  legs  and  feet, 
very  pale  ash,  the  latter  three  inches  in  width  —  a  circum- 
Etance  which  partly  accounts  for  its  great  powers  of  swim- 
ming. 

The  female  is  somewhat  less  than  the  male,  and  weighs 
two  pounds  and  three-quarters;  the  crown  is  blackish- 
brown  ;  cheeks  and  throat,  of  a  pale  drab ;  neck,  dull 
brown ;  breast,  as  far  as  the  black  extends  on  the  male, 
dull  brown,  skirted  in  places  with  pale  drab ;  back,  dusky 
white,  crossed  with  fine  waving  lines;  belly,  of  the' same 
dull  white,  pencilled  like  the  back;  wings,  feet,  and  bill, 
as  in  the  male;  tail-coverts,  dusky;  vent,  white,  waved 
with  brown. 

The  windpipe  of  the  male  has  a  large,  flattish,  concave 
labyrinth,  the  ridge  of  which  is  covered  with  a  thin,  trans- 
parent membrane  ;  where  the  trachea  enters  this,  it  is  very 
narrow,  but  immediately  above  swells  to  three  times  that 
diameter.  The  intestines  are  wide,  and  measure  five  feet  ia 
length. 


148  THE     PELICAN. 

THE  PELICAN.    (Pelecanus  onocmtalus.') 

The  White  or  Great  Pelican,  or  Pelecan,  resembles  til' 
swan  in  shape  and  colour,  but  exceeds  it  in  size.  The 
singularity,  however,  which  distinguishes  it  from  all  other 
birds,  is  in  the  bill  and  the  great  pouch  underneath,  which 
merit  a  particular  description. 

The  bill  of  this  bird  is  about  sixteen  inches  long,  from 
the  point  to  the  opening  of  the  mouth,  which  is  a  good  way 
behind  the  eyes.  It  is  very  thick  at  the  base,  where  it  is 
of  a  greenish  tint,  but  tapers  off  towards  the  end,  which 
curves  downward,  and  is  of  a  reddish  blue.  At  the  lower 
edge  of  the  under  chap  hangs  a  pouch,  capable  of  containing 
fifteen  quarts  of  water,  and  reaching  the  whole  length  of 
the  bill  to  the  neck :  this  bag  is  covered  with  a  very  soft 
and  smooth  down,  and,  when  empty,  is  scarcely  perceptible ; 
as  the  bird  has  the  pow^er  of  wrinkling  it  up  into  the  lower 
jaw.  This  bird  was  formerly  known  in  Europe,  par- 
ticularly in  Russia ;  but  at  present  it  is  only  found  in  Africa 
and  America. 

The  Pelican  has  strong  wings,  furnished  with  thick 
plumage  of  an  ash-colour,  as  are  the  rest  of  the  feathers 
over  the  whole  body.  The  large  legs  are  lead-coloured,  and 
the  claws  gray.  The  number  of  toes  is  four,  and  these  are  all 
webbed  together.  The  eyes  are  very  small,  when  compared 
with  the  size  of  the  head,  and  there  is  something  in  tha 
countenance  very  sad  and  melancholy. 


THE     PELICAN.  148 

These  birds  are  torpid  and  inactive  to  the  last  degree,  so 
that  nothing  can  exceed  their  indolence  but  their  gluttony  j 
for  were  they  not  excited  to  labour  by  the  stimulus  of 
hunger,  they  would  always  continue  in  fixed  repose.  They 
will  often  sit  for  whole  days  and  nights  on  rocks  and  branches 
of  trees,  motionless,  and  in  a  melancholy  posture,  till  the 
cravings  of  the  stomach  compel  them  to  seek  for  food. 
When  they  have  raised  themselves  about  thirty  or  forty 
feet  above  the  surface  of  the  sea,  they  turn  their  head  with 
one  eye  downward,  and  continue  to  fly  in  that  posture.  As 
soon  as  they  perceive  a  fish  sufficiently  near  the  surface, 
they  dart  down  with  the  swiftness  of  an  arrow,  seize  it  with 
unerring  certainty,  and  store  it  up  in  their  pouch :  they 
then  rise  again,  and  continue  hovering  and  fishing,  till  their 
bag  is  filled ;  when  they  retire  to  land,  and  greedily  devour 
the  fruits  of  their  industry.  They  then  sink  to  sleep, 
and  remain  inert  till  again  obliged  to  provide  for  their  sub- 
sistence. 

The  same  habits  of  indolence  seem  to  attend  the  Pelican 
in  every  situation ;  for  the  female  does  not  prepare  for  the 
duties  of  incubation,  but  drops  her  eggs  on  the  bare  ground, 
to  the  number  of  five  or  six,  and  there  contrives  to  hatch 
them.  It  is  a  mere  poetical  fiction  that  the  Pelican  feeds 
her  young  with  blood  from  her  own  breast.  Her  little 
progeny,  however,  seem  to  call  forth  some  maternal  afiec- 
tions ;  for  its  young  have  been  taken  and  tied  by  the  leg  to 


150  THE     PELICAN. 

a  post,  and  the  parent  bird  has  been  observed  for  several 
days  to  come  and  feed  them;  remaining  with  them  the 
greatest  part  of  the  day,  and  spending  the  night  on  the 
oranch  of  a  tree  that  hung  over  them.  By  these  means 
they  became  so  familiar  that  they  suffered  themselves  to  be 
handled ;  and  they  very  readily  accepted  whatever  fish  waa 
given  to  them.  These  they  always  put  first  into  their  pouch, 
and  then  swallowed  them  at  leisure. 

Notwithstanding  their  natural  indolence  and  stupidity, 
these  birds  appear  to  be  susceptible  of  instruction  in  a  domestic 
state.  Some  of  them  have  been  known  to  go  off  at  the  word 
of  command,  and  return  to  their  owners  with  their  poiichea 
distended  with  plunder. 

It  is  said  that,  when  the  Pelican  and  the  cormorant  fish 
in  company,  they  adopt  a  singular  mode  of  catching  their 
prey.  They  form  a  large  circle,  at  some  distance  from  the 
land,  and,  while  the  Pelicans  flap  their  wings  above,  the 
cormorants  dive  beneath.  The  fish  are  thus  driven  before 
the  birds,  who  lessen  the  circle  as  they  approach  the  land, 
and  thus  enclose  their  finny  spoil  within  a  narrow  space,  eo 
•a  to  have  no  difficulty  in  seizing  on  a  sufficient  number. 


THE     CORMORANT.  151 

THE  CORMORANT.     {Plmlacrocorax  carlo.) 

The  Cormorant,  or  Corvorant,  weighs  about  seven  pounds, 
•nd  is  nearly  the  same  size  as  a  goose.  The  head  and  neck 
are  of  a  sooty  blackness,  and  the  body  is  thick  and  heavy, 
moie  inclining  in  figure  to  that  of  the  goose  than  the  gull. 
Its  dii5tinguished  character,  however,  consists  in  its  toes 
being  united  by  membranes,  and  by  the  middle  toe  being 
notched,  like  a  saw,  to  assist  it  in  holding  its  fishy  prey. 

On  the  approach  of  winter,  these  birds  are  seen  dispersed 
along  the  sea-shore,  and  ascending  the  mouths  of  rivers, 
carrying  destruction  to  all  the  finny  tribe,  as  they  are 
remarkably  voracious,  and  have  such  a  quick  digestion  that 
their  appetite  appears  completely  insatiable.  Their  intestines 
being  thronged  with  small  worms  may,  perhaps,  contribute 
to  their  insatiable  craving  for  food.  They  build  their  nests 
on  the  highest  parts  of  the  clifi"s  that  overhang  the  sea ;  and 
the  female  usually  lays  three  or  four  eggs  about  the  size  of 
those  of  the  goose,  and  of  a  pale  green  colour. 

In  China  these  birds  are  bred  up  tame,  for  the  purposes 
of  fishing,  and  one  man  can  easily  manage  a  hundred  of 
them.  When  a  fisherman  intends  to  fish,  he  carries  them 
out  into  the  lake,  perched  on  the  gunnel  of  his  boat,  where 
they  continue  tranquil,  and  expect  his  orders  with  patience. 
When  arrived  at  the  proper  place,  each  flies  a  different 
way,  on  a  given  signal,  to  fulfil  the  task  assigned  it :  and  it 
Id  very  pleasant  on  this   occasion   to   behold  with  what 


152  THE     GULL. 

sagacity  they  portion  out  the  lake  or  canal  Trhere  they  ire 
upon  duty.  They  hunt  about,  they  plunge,  they  rise  a 
hundred  times  to  the  surface,  until  they  have  at  last  found 
their  prey.  They  then  seize  it  with  their  beak  by  the 
middle,  and  carry  it  to  their  master.  When  weary  they 
are  suffered  to  rest  for  a  while,  but  they  are  never  fed  till 
their  work  is  over.  In  this  manner  they  supply  a  very 
plentiful  table;  but  still  their  natural  voracity  cannot  be 
restrained  even  by  education.  While  they  fish,  they  have 
always  a  string  fastened  round  their  throats,  to  prevent 
them  from  devouring  their  prey ;  as  otherwise  they  would 
soon  satiate  themselves,  and  then  discontinue  their  pursuit. 
Such  was  formerly  the  practice  in  England ;  and  as  late  as 
the  reign  of  Charles  I.  there  was  an  officer  of  the  household 
who  bore  the  title  of  Master-  of  the  Cormorants. 


THE  BLACK  AND  WHITE  GULL.     {Larus  marinus,') 

Gulls  frequent  principally  the  northern  countries,  and 
do  not  dive  so  much  as  the  other  water  fowl;  they  chiefly 
subsisting  on  the  gregarious  fish  which  they  catch  near  the 
surface  of  the  water.  When  the  sea  is  rough,  they  come 
into  the  harbours,  and  feed  on  worms.  Occasionally  they 
>vill  even  eat  carrion.  They  fly  with  great  rapidity;  theif 
body  being  light,  and  their  vnngs  long.     It  is  not  until  the 


THE     GULL.  153 

third  year  that  the  young  birds  acquire  the  same  colour  as 
the  old. 

The  Black  and  White  Grull  is  by  far  the  largest  of  all  the 
Gull  kind,  as  it  generally  weighs  upwards  of  four  pounds, 
and  is  twenty-five  or  twenty -six  inches  from  the  point  of 
the  bill  to  the  end  of  the  tail;  and  from  the  tip  of  each 
wing,  when  extended,  five  feet  and  several  inches.  The  bill 
appears  compressed  sideways,  being  more  than  three  inches 
long,  and  hooked  towards  the  end,  like  the  rest  of  this 
kind,  of  a  sort  of  orange  colour ;  the  nostrils  are  of  an 
oblong  form ;  the  mouth  is  wide,  with  a  long  tongue  and 
very  open  gullet.  The  iridcs  of  the  eyes  are  of  a  very 
delightful  red.  The  wings  and  the  middle  of  the  back  are 
black,  only  the  tips  of  the  covert  and  quill-feathers  are 
white.  The  head,  breast,  tail,  and  other  parts  of  the  body 
are  likewise  white.  The  tail  is  near  six  inches  long,  the 
legs  and  feet  are  flesh-coloured,  and  the  claws  black.  There 
are  about  twenty  varieties  of  this  tribe,  which  are  all 
distinguished  by  an  angular  knob  on  the  chap. 

Gulls  are  found  in  great  plenty  in  every  place ;  but  it  is 
chiefly  round  our  rockiest  shores,  that  they  are  seen  in  the 
greatest  abundance ;  it  is  there  that  the  Gull  breeds  and 
bring?  up  its  young ;  it  is  there  that  millions  of  them  are 
heard  screaming  with  discordant  notes  for  months  together. 

These  birds,  like  all  others  of  the  rapacious  kind,  lay  but 
few  eggs  J  and  hence,  in  uiany  places,  their  number  is  daily 
seen  to  diminish.  The  lessening  of  so  many  rapacioua 
10 


154  THE     GREAT    TERN. 

birds  may,  at  first  sight,  appear  a  benefit  to  mankind ;  but 
when  we  consider  how  many  persons  are  sustained  by 
their  flesh,  either  fresh  or  salted,  we  shall  find  no  satis- 
faction in  thinking  that  these  poor  people  may  in  time 
lose  their  chief  support.  The  Gull  usually  builds  on  the 
ledges  of  rocks,  and  lays  from  one  egg  to  three,  in  a  nest 
formed  of  long  grass  and  sea-weed.  It  defends  its  young 
with  great  intrepidity.  When  the  natives  of  the  Fero 
Islands  attempt  to  plunder  the  nest,  the  parent  birds 
attack  them  with  such  vehemence  that,  on  the  men  holding 
a  knife  perpendicularly  above  their  own  heads,  the  Gulls  will 
sometimes  transfix  themselves  in  pouncing  on  the  invaders. 
Most  of  the  kind  are  fishy  tasted,  with  black  stringy  flesh ; 
yet  the  young  ones  are  better  food ;  and  of  these,  with 
several  other  birds  of  the  penguin  kind,  the  poor  inhabitants 
of  the  Arctic  regions  make  their  wretched  banquets.  They 
have  been  long  used  to  no  other  food ;  and  even  a  salted 
Gull  can  be  relished  by  those  who  know  no  better. 


THE  GREAT  TERN.     {Sterna  Tiisundo.) 

Tnis  bird  is  about  fourteen  inches  long,  and  weighs  four 
ounces  and  a  quarter.  The  bill  and  feet  are  a  fine  crimson, 
the  former  is  tipped  with  black,  and  very  slender.  The 
back  of  the  head  is  black ;  the  upper  part  of  the  body  is  a 


THE     GALLINULE.  155 

pale  gray,  and  the  under  part  white.  They  have  been 
called  Sea  Swallows,  from  appearing  to  have  all  the  same 
actions  at  sea  that  the  swallow  has  on  land,  seizing  every 
insect  which  appears  on  the  surface,  and  darting  down  upon 
the  smaller  fishes,  which  they  seize  with  incredible  rapidity. 

The  Lesser  Tern  weighs  only  two  ounces  five  grains. 
The  bill  is  yellow,  and  from  the  eyes  to  the  bill  is  a  black 
line :  in  other  respects  it  almost  exactly  resembles  the 
preceding. 

The  Black  Tern  is  of  a  middle  size  between  the  two 
preceding  species.  It  weighs  two  ounces  and  a  half.  It 
receives  its  name  from  being  all  black  as  far  as  the  vent, 
except  a  white  spot  under  the  throat.  This  bird  is  called 
in  some  parts  the  Car  Swallow.     It  is  very  noisy. 

Among  the  birds  of  this  tribe,  one  of  the  most  singular 
is  the  Striated  Tern,  which  is  a  native  of  New  Zealand. 
It  has  a  black  bill,  and  the  body  is  in  general  mottled,  or 
rather  striped  with  black  and  white.  Its  length  is  about 
thirteen  inches. 


PUEPLE  GALLINULE.    {Gallinula porphyria.) 

"  Tins  bird,"  says  Latham,  "  is  more  or  less  common  in 
all  the  warmer  parts  of  the  globe.  On  the  coasts  of  Bar- 
oary  they  abound,  as  well  %ti  ,n  some  of  the  islands  of  the 


1  56  T  H  E     G  i'  L  L  I  N  U  L  E. 

Mediterranean.  In  Sicily,  they  are  bred  in  plenty,  and 
Kept  for  their  beaut5^;  but  whether  indigenous  there,  we 
are  not  certain.  It  is  frequently  met  with  in  various  parts 
of  the  south  of  Russia,  and  western  parts  of  Siberia,  among 
reedy  places ;  and  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Caspian  Sea 
not  uncommon ;  but  in  the  cultivated  rice  grounds  of  Ghilan 
in  Persia,  in  great  plenty,  and  in  high  plumage.  The  female 
makes  her  nest  among  the  reeds,  in  the  middle  of  March ; 
lays  three  or  four  eggs,  and  sits  from  three  to  four  weeks. 
That  it  is  common  in  China,  the  paper-hangings  thence  will 
everywhere  testify.  It  is  also  met  with  in  the  East  Indies, 
the  islands  of  Java,  Madagascar,  and  many  others.  Our 
late  navigators  .saw  them  at  Tongataboo  in  vast  numbers,  as 
well  as  the  islands  of  Tanna,  and  other  parts.  It  is  also 
common  in  the  southern  parts  of  America. 

"  In  respect  to  its  manners,  it  is  a  very  docile  bird,  being 
easily  tamed,  and  feeding  with  the  poultry,  scratching  the 
ground  with  the  foot,  as  the  cock  and  hen.  It  will  feed  on 
many  things,  such  as  fruits,  roots  of  plants,  and  grain ;  but 
will  eat  fish  with  avidity,  dipping  them  into  the  water 
before  it  swallows  them ;  will  frequently  stand  on  one  leg, 
and  lift  the  food  to  its  mouth  with  the  other,  like  a  parrot. 
The  flesh  is  said  to  be  exquisite  in  taste." 

"  The  moderns,"  says  BufFon,  ''  have  given  the  name  of 
Sultana  Hen  to  a  bird  famous  among  the  ancients,  under 
the  name  of  Porphj-rion-.  We  have  frequently  had  occasion 
to  remark  the  justness  of  the  denominations  bestowed  by 


THE     GALLINULE.  157 

the  Greeks,  which  generally  allude  to  the  distinctive  char 
racters,  and  are  therefore  superior  to  the  terras  hastilj 
adopted  in  our  languages,  from  superficial  or  inaccurate 
views.  The  present  is  an  instance;  as  this  bird  seemed  to 
bear  som3  resemblance  to  the  gallinaceous  tribe,  it  got  the 
name  of  Hen ;  but  as,  at  the  same  time,  it  differed  widely, 
and  excelled  by  its  beauty  and  port,  it  received  the  epithet 
of  Sultana.  But  the  term  Porphyrion,  indicating  the  red 
or  purple  tint  of  its  bill  and  feet,  was  more  just  and  cha- 
racteristic; and  should  we  not  rebuild  the  fine  ruins  of 
learned  antiquity,  and  restore  to  nature  those  brilliant 
images,  and  those  faithful  portraits  from  the  delicate  pen- 
cil of  the  Grreeks,  ever  awake  to  her  beauties  and  her 
animation  ? 

"  Both  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  notwithstanding  their 
voracious  luxury,  abstained  from  eating  the  Porphyrion. 
They  brought  it  from  Lybia,  from  Comagene,  and  from  the 
Balearic  Islands,  to  be  fed  and  to  be  placed  in  their  palaces 
and  temples,  where  it  was  left  at  liberty  as  a  guest,  whose 
noble  aspect,  whose  gentle  disposition,  and  whose  elegant 
plumagCj  merited  such  honours. 

"  Scarcely  any  bird  has  more  beautiful  colours ;  the  blud 
of  its  plumage  is  soft  and  glossy,  embellished  with  brilliant 
reflections ;  its  long  feet,  and  the  plate  from  the  top  of  its 
head  to  the  root  of  its  bill,  are  of  a  fine  red ;  and  a  tuft  of 
white  feathers  under  the  tail  heightens  the  lustre  of  its 
eharming  garb.    Except  that  it  is  rather  smaller,  the  female 


158  THE     GALLINULB. 

differs  not  from  the  male,  which  exceeds  the  partridge,  but 
is  inferior  to  a  domestic  hen.  The  Marquis  de  Nesle 
brought  a  pair  from  Sicily,  where  they  are  known  under 
the  name  of  Gallofagiani ;  they  are  found  on  the  lake  Len- 
tini,  above  Catana,  and  are  sold  for  a  moderate  price  in  that 
city,  as  well  as  in  Syracuse  and  the  adjacent  towns.  They 
appear  alive  in  the  public  places,  and  plant  themselves 
beside  the  sellers  of  vegetables  and  fruits  to  pick  up  the 
refuse ;  and  this  beautiful  bird,  which  the  Romans  lodged 
in  their  temples,  now  experiences  the  decline  of  Italy." 

The  length  of  the  Purple  Gallinule  is  fourteen  inches; 
its  bill  is  an  inch  and  a  quarter  long,  red,  yellow  at  the 
tips;  nostril,  small,  oblong,  and  near  the  centre  of  the  bill; 
irides,  tawny;  the  naked  front  and  crown  are  red;  the 
head,  part  of  the  neck,  throat,  and  breast  are  of  a  rich 
violet  purple ;  the  back  and  scapulars,  brownish-green ; 
rump,  tail,  and  its  coverts,  of  a  duller  brownish-green ;  the 
sides  of  the  neck,  ultramarine ;  wings,  the  same,  tinged  with 
green ;  the  inner  webs  of  the  quill-feathers  and  tail,  dusky 
brown ;  upper  lining  and  side  lining  of  the  wings,  under 
the  spurious  wing,  rich  light  blue ;  the  belly,  thighs,  and 
for  an  inch  behind,  dull  purplish  black;  the  vent  pure 
white ;  tail,  rounded ;  thighs,  legs,  and  feet,  red ;  span  of 
the  foot,  five  inches;  hind  toe  and  claws,  long. 


THE     LOON.  159 

GREAT  NORTHERN  DIVER,  OR  LOON. 
(^Colymhus  glacialis.^ 

Fins  bird  in  Pennsylvania  is  migratory.  In  the  autumn, 
It  makes  its  appearance  with  the  various  feathered  tribes 
tL  tt  frequent  our  waters ;  and,  when  the  streams  are 
Dbstructed  with  ice,  it  departs  for  the  Southern  States.  In 
the  months  of  March  and  April,  it  is  again  seen,  and,  after 
lingering  a  while,  it  leaves  us  for  the  purpose  of  breeding. 
The  Loons  are  found  along  the  coast,  as  well  as  in  the  inte- 
rior; but  in  the  summer  they  retire  to  the  fresh-water  lakes 
and  ponds.  We  have  never  heard  that  they  breed  in  Penn- 
sylvania, but  it  is  said  they  do  in  Missibisci  Pond,  near 
Boston,  Massachusetts.  The  female  lays  two  large  brown- 
ish eggs.  They  are  commonly  seen  in  pairs;  and  procure 
their  food,  which  is  fish,  in  the  deepest  water  of  our  rivers, 
diving  after  it,  and  continuing  under  for  a  length  of  time. 
Being  a  wary  bird,  it  is  seldom  they  are  killed,  eluding 
their  pursuers  by  their  astonishing  faculty  of  diving.  They 
Tseem  averse  from  flying,  and  are  but  seldom  seen  on  the . 
wing.     They  are  never  eaten. 

The  Loon  is  restless  before  a  storm ;  and  an  experienced 
master  of  a  coasting-vessel  informed  me  that  he  always 
knew  when  a  tempest  was  approaching  by  the  cry  of  this 
bird,  which  is  very  shrill,  and  may  be  heard  at  the  distance 
of  a  mile  or  more. 


160  THE     LOON. 

This  species  seldom  visits  the  shores  of  Britain,  except  in 
very  severe  winters;  but  it  is  met  with  in  the  north  of 
Europe,  and  spreads  along  the  Arctic  coast  as  far  as  the 
mouth  of  the  river  Ob,  in  the  dominions  of  Russia.  It  is 
found  about  Spitzbergen,  Iceland,  and  Hudson's  Bay. 
Makes  its  nest,  in  the  more  northern  regions,  on  the  littlo 
isles  of  fresh-water  lakes :  every  pair  keep  a  lake  to  them- 
selves. It  sees  well,  flies  very  high,  and,  darting  obliquely, 
falls  secure  into  its  nest.  Appears  in  Greenland  in  April, 
or  the  beginning  of  May,  and  goes  away  in  September,  or 
October,  on  the  first  fall  of  snow.  It  is  also  found  at 
Nootka  Sound,  and  Kamtschatka. 

The  Barabinzians — a  nation  situated  between  the  river 
Ob  and  the  Irtisch,  in  the  Russian  dominions — tan  the 
breasts  of  this  and  other  water  fowl,  whose  skins  they  pre- 
pare in  such  a  manner  as  to  preserve  the  down  upon  them  j 
and,  sewing  a  number  of  these  together,  they  sell  them  to 
make  pelisses,  caps,  &c.  Garments  made  of  these  are  very 
warm,  never  imbibing  the  least  moisture,  and  are  more  last- 
ing than  could  be  imagined. 

The  natives  of  Greenland  use  the  skins  for  clothing,  and 
the  Indians  about  Hudson's  Bay  adorn  their  heads  with 
circlets  of  their  feathers. 

Lewis  and  Clark's  party,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia, 
$aw  robes  made  of  the  skins  of  Loons,  and  abundance  of 
these  birds,  during  the  time  that  they  wintered  at  Fort 
Clatsop,  on  that  river. 


THE    BLACK-HEADED     GULL.  161 

The  Laplanders,  according  to  Regnard,  cover  their  heads 
with  a  cap  made  of  the  skin  of  a  Loom  (Loon),  which  word 
signifies  in  their  language,  lame,  because  the  bird  cannot 
walk  well.  They  place  it  on  their  head  in  such  a  manner 
that  the  bird's  head  falls  over  their  brow,  and  its  wings 
cover  their  ears. 

"  Northern  Divers,"  says  Hearne,  "  though  common  in 
Hudson's  Bay,  are  by  no  means  plentiful ;  they  are  seldom 
found  near  the  coast,  but  more  frequently  in  fresh-water 
lakes,  and  usually  in  pairs.  They  build  their  nests  at  the 
edge  of  small  islands,  or  the  margins  of  lakes  or  ponds; 
they  lay  only  two  eggs ;  and  it  is  very  common  to  find  only 
one  pair  and  their  young  in  one  sheet  of  water — a  great 
proof  of  their  aversion  to  society.  They  are  known  in 
Hudson's  Bay  by  the  name  of  Loons." 

The  Great  Northern  Diver  measures  two  feet  ten  inches 
from  the  tip  of  the  bill  to  the  end  of  the  tail,  and  four  feet 
eix  inches  in  breadth. 


BLACK-HEADED  GULL.     (Larus  ridibundus.) 

Length,  seventeen  inches ;  extent,  three  feet  six  inches  j 
bill,  thighs,  legs,  feet,  sides  of  the  mouth,  and  eyelids,  dark 
blood  red;  inside  of  the  mouth,  vermilion;  bill,  nearly  two 


162  THE     BLACK- HEADED     GULL. 

inches  and  a  half  long;  the  nostril  is  placed  rather  lowrj 
the  eyes  are  black ;  above  and  below  each  eye  there  is  a 
spot  of  white;  the  head  and  part  of  the  neck  are  black, 
remainder  of  the  neck,  breast,  whole  lower  parts,  tail- 
coverts^  and  tail,  pure  white ;  the  scapulars,  wing-covertg, 
and  whole  upper  parts,  are  of  a  fine  blue  ash  colour ;  the 
first  five  primaries  are  black  towards  their  extremities;  the 
secondaries  are  tipped  largely  with  white,  and  almost  all 
the  primaries  slightly ;  the  bend  of  the  wing  is  white,  and 
nearly  three  inches  long;  the  tail  is  almost  even;  it  con- 
sists of  twelve  feathers,  and  its  coverts  reach  within  an  inch 
and  a  half  of  its  tip ;  the  wings  extend  two  inches  beyond 
the  tail ;  a  delicate  blush  is  perceivable  on  the  breast  and 
belly. 

The  head  of  the  female  is  of  a  dark  dusky  slate  colour; 
in  other  respects,  she  resembles  the  male. 

We  are  inclined  (says  Wilson)  to  the  opinion,  that  the 
three  Gulls  of  Latham,  viz.,  the  Black-headed  Gull,  the 
Red-legged  Gull,  and  the  Laughing  Gull,  are  one  and 
the  same  species,  the  very  bird  which  we  have  been 
describing,  the  difierencc  in  tlwir  markings  arising  from 
their  age  and  sex.  We  feel  emboldened  to  this  declaration 
from  the  circumstance  of  having  ourselves  shot  Gulls  which 
corresponded  almost  precisely  to  those  of  the  above  author, 
of  the  same  habits,  the  same  voice,  and  which  tvere  found 
associating  together. 

In  some  individuals;  the  crown  is  of  a  dusky  gray ;  lh« 


THE    BLACK-HEADE1>    GULL.  163 

upper  part  and  sides  of  the  neck,  of  a  lead  colour ;  tte  bill 
and  legs,  of  a  dirty,  dark,  purplish  brown.  Others  have 
not  the  white  spots  above  and  below  the  eyes ;  these  are 
young  birds. 

TLo  changes  of  plumage,  to  which  birds  of  this  genus  aro 
Bubject,  have  tended  not  a  little  to  confound  the  naturalist; 
and  a  considerable  collision  of  opinion,  arising  from  an  im- 
perfect acquaintance  with  the  living  subjects,  has  been  the 
result.  To  investigate  thoroughly  their  history,  it  is  obvi- 
ously necessary  that  the  ornithologist  should  frequently 
explore  their  native  haunts ;  and,  to  determine  the  species 
of  periodical  or  occasional  visiters,  an  accurate  comparative 
examination  of  many  specimens,  either  alive  or  recently 
killed,  is  indispensable.  Less  confusion  would  arise  among 
authors,  if  they  would  occasionally  abandon  their  accustomed 
walks  —  their  studies  and  their  museums,  and  seek  correct 
knowledge  in  the  only  place  where  it  is  to  be  obtained — 
in  the  grand  temple  of  nature.  As  it  respects,  in  particular, 
the  tribe  under  review,  the  zealous  inquirer  would  find  him- 
self amply  compensated  for  all  his  toil,  by  observing  these 
neat  and  clean  birds  coursing  along  the  rivers  and  coast, 
enlivening  the  prospect  by  their  airy  movements,  now 
skimming  closely  over  the  watery  element,  watching  the 
motions  of  the  surges,  and  now  rising  into  the  higher 
regions,  sporting  with  the  winds, — while  he  inhaled  the 
invigorating  breezes  of  the  ocean,  and  listened  to  the  aooth- 
ipg  murmurs  of  its  billows. 


164  THE     BLACK- HEADED    GULL. 

The  Black-headed  Gull  is  the  most  beautiful  and  mofll 
Bociabl'j  of  its  genus.  They  make  their  appearance  on  the 
coast  of  New  Jersey  in  the  latter  part  of  April ;  and  do  not 
fail  to  give  notice  of  their  arrival  by  their  familiarity  and 
loquacity.  The  inhabitants  treat  them  with  the  same 
indifference  that  they  manifest  towards  all  those  harmless 
birds  which  do  not  minister  either  to  their  appetite  or  their 
avarice ;  and  hence  the  Black-Heads  may  be  seen  in  com  • 
panics  around  the  farm-house,  coursing  along  the  river-shores, 
gleaning  up  the  refuse  of  the  fishermen,  and  the  animal 
substances  left  by  the  tide ;  or  scattered  over  the  marshes 
and  newly-ploughed  fields,  regaling  on  the  worms,  insects, 
and  their  larvae,  which,  in  the  vernal  season,  the  bounty  of 
Nature  provides  for  the  sustenance  of  myriads  of  the 
feathered  race. 

On  the  Jersey  side  of  the  Delaware  Bay,  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Fishing  Creek,  about  the  middle  of  May,  the 
Black-headed  Gulls  assemble  in  great  multitudes,  to  feed 
upon  the  remains  of  the  king-crabs  which  the  hogs  have  left, 
or  upon  the  spawn  which  those  curious  animals  deposit  in 
the  sand,  and  which  is  scattered  along  the  shore  by  the 
waves.  At  such  times,  if  any  one  approach  to  disturb  them, 
the  Gulls  will  rise  up  in  clouds,  every  individual  squalling 
BO  loud,  that  the  roar  may  be  heard  at  the  distance  of  two 
or  three  miles. 

It  is  an  interesting  spectacle  to  behold  this  species  when 
»bout  recommencing  their  migrations.     K  the  weather  be 


THE     BLACK-HEADED    GULL.  165 

calm,  they  will  rise  up  in  the  air,  spirally,  chattering  all  the 
while  to  each  other  in  the  most  sprightly  mannei',  their 
notes  at  such  times  resembling  the  singing  of  a  hen,  but  far 
louder,  changing  often  into  a  haw,  ha,  ha,  ha,  haio!  the 
last  syllable  lengthened  out  like  the  excessive  laugh  of  a 
negro.  When  mounting  and  mingling  together,  like  motes 
in  the  sunbeams,  their  black  heads-  and  wing-tips,  and  snow- 
white  plumage,  give  them  a  very  beautiful  appearance. 
After  gaining  an  immense  height,  they  all  move  off,  with 
one  consent,  in  a  direct  line  towards  the  point  of  their 
destination. 

This  bird  breeds  in  the  marshes.  The  eggs  are  three  in 
number,  of  a  dun  clay  colour,  thinly  marked  with  small, 
irregular  touches  of  a  pale  purple,  and  pale  brown ;  some 
are  of  a  deeper  dun,  with  larger  marks,  and  less  tapering 
than  others ;  the  egg  measures  two  inches  and  a  quarter  by 
one  inch  and  a  half. 

The  Black-Heads  frequently  penetrate  into  the  interior, 
especially  as  far  as  Philadelphia;  but  they  seem  to  prefer 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  coast  for  the  purpose  of  breeding. 
They  retire  southward  early  in  autumn. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

'  /■:  This  species  is  found  in  every  part  of  Russia  and  Siberia, 
|,nd  even  in  Kamtschatka.  They  are  seen  throughout  the 
winter  at  Aleppo,  in  great  numbers,  and  so  tame,  that  the 
women  are  said  to  call  them  from  the  terraces  of  their 


166  THE     BLACK-HEADED     GULL. 

houses,  throwing  up  pieces  of  bread,  wliioh  these  birds  catch 
in  the  air. 

The  Black-headed  Gull  is  common  in  Great  Britain. 
"  In  former  times,"  says  Bewick,  "  these  birds  were  looked 
upon  as  valuable  property,  by  the  owners  of  some  of  the 
fens  and  marshes  in  this  kingdom,  who,  every  autumn, 
caused  the  little  islets  or^biafts,  in  those  wastes,  to  be  cleared 
of  the  reeds  and  rushes,  in  order  properly  to  prepare  the 
spots  for  the  reception  of  the  old  birds  in  the  spring,  to 
which  places  at  that  season  they  regularly  returned  in  great 
flocks  to  breed.  The  young  ones  were  then  highly  esteemed, 
as  excellent  eating,  and  on  that  account  were  caught  in 
great  numbers,  before  they  were  able  to  fly.  Six  or  seven 
men,  equipped  for  this  business,  waded  through  the  pools, 
and  with  long  staves  drove  them  to  the  land,  against  nets 
placed  upon  the  shores  of  these  hafts,  where  they  were 
easily  caught  by  the  hand,  and  put  into  pens  ready  pre- 
pared for  their  reception.  The  gentry  assembled  from  all 
parts  to  see  the  sport. 

"  Dr.  Plot,  in  his  Natural  History  of  Staffordshire,  pub- 
lished in  1686,  gives  the  above  particulars,  and  says  that 
in  this  manner  as  many  have  been  caught  in  one  morning 
as,  when  sold  at  five  shillings  per  dozen  (the  usual  price  at 
that  time),  produced  the  sum  of  twelve  pounds  ten  shil- 
lings ;  and  that  in  the  several  drifts  on  the  few  succeeding 
days  of  this  sport,  they  have  been  taken  in  some  years  in 
■uch  abundance,  that  their  value,  according  to  the  abova 


THE    EIDER    DUCK.      '  167 

rate,  was  from  thirty  to  sixty  pounds — a  great  sum  in  those 
days.  These  were  the  See  Guiles,  of  which  we  read  aa 
being  so  plentifully  provided  at  the  great  feasts  of  the 
ancient  nobility  and  bishops  of  this  realm.  Although  the 
flesh  of  these  birds  is  not  now  esteemed  a  dainty,  and  they 
are  seldom  sought  after  as  an  article  of  food,  yet  in  the 
breeding  season,  where  accommodation  and  protection  are 
afforded  them,  they  still  regularly  resort  to  the  same  old 
haunts,  which  have  been  occupied  by  their  kind  for  a  long 
time  past.  This  is  the  case  with  the  flocks  which  now 
breed  at  Pallinsburne,  in  Northumberland,  where  they  are 
accounted  of  great  use  in  clearing  the  surrounding  lands  of 
noxious  insects,  worms,  slugs,  &c." 


THE  EIDER  DUCK.     (Anas  molltssima.') 

The  Eider  Duck  has  been  long  celebrated  in  Europe,  for 
the  abundance  and  excellence  of  its  down,  which,  for  soft- 
ness, warmth,  lightness,  and  elasticity,  surpasses  that  of  all 
other  ducks.  The  quantity  found  in  one  nest  more  than 
filled  the  crown  of  a  hat,  yet  weighed  no  more  than  three- 
quarters  of  an  ounce ;  and  it  is  asserted,  that  three  pounds 
of  this  down  may  be  compressed  into  a  space  scarce  bigger 
than  a  man's  fist,  yet  is  afterwards  so  dilatable  as  to  fill  a 
quilt  five  feet  square.  .4  i .  -\ 


168  '     THE    EIDER    DUCK. 

The  £»ative  regions  of  the  Eider  Duck  extend  from  45* 
N.  to  the  highest  hititudes  yet  discovered,  both  in  Europe 
and  America.  Solitary  rocky  shores  and  islands  are  their 
favourite  haunts.  Some  wandering  pairs  have  been  known 
to  breed  on  the  rocky  islands  beyond  Portland,  in  the 
state  of  Maine,  which  is  perhaps  the  most  southern  extent 
of  their  breeding  place. 

In  England,  the  Fern  Isles,  on  the  coast  of  Northumber- 
land, are  annually  visited  by  a  few  of  these  birds,  being  the 
only  place  in  South  Britain  where  they  are  known  to  breed. 
They  occur  again  in  some  of  the  Western  Isles  of  Scotland. 
Greenland  and  Iceland  abound  with  them,  and  here,  in  par- 
ticular places,  their  nests  are  crowded  so  close  together,  that 
a  person  can  scarcely  walk  without  treading  on  them. 

The  natives  of  these  countries  know  the  value  of  the 
down,  and  carry  on  a  regular  system  of  plunder,  both  of  it 
and  also  of  the  eggs.  The  nest  is  gi>nerally  formed  out- 
wardly of  drift-grass,  dry  sea-weed,  and  ruch  like  materials; 
the  inside  composed  of  a  large  quantity  of  down,  plucked 
from  the  breast  of  the  female.  In  this  poft,  elastic  bed  she 
deposits  five  eggs,  extremely  smooth  and  glossy,  of  a  pale 
olive  colour;  they  are  also  warmly  coveiud  with  the  same 
kind  of  down.  When  the  whole  number  is  laid,  they  are 
taken  away  by  the  natives,  and  also  the  down  with  which 
the  nest  is  lined,  together  with  that  which  covers  the  eggs. 
TJje  female  once  more  strips  her  breast  of  the  remaining 
down,  and  lays  a  second  time ;  even  this,  with  the  eggs,  ia 


THE     CANADA    GOOSE.  169 

g»inerally  taken  away ;  and  it  is  said  that  tbe  male,  in  this 
extremity,  furnishes  the  third  quantity  of  down  from  his 
own  breast;  but  if  the  cruel  robbery  be  a  third  time 
repeated,  they  abandon  the  place  altogether. 

One  female,  during  the  whole  time  of  laying,  generally 
gives  half  a  pound  of  down ;  and  we  are  told,  that,  in  the 
year  1750,  the  Iceland  Company  sold  as  much  of  this  article, 
as  amounted  to  three  thousand  seven  hundred  and  forty-five 
banco  dollars,  besides  what  was  directly  sent  to  Gluckstadt. 
The  down  from  dead  birds  is  little  esteemed,  having  lost  ita 
elasticity. 

These  birds  associate  together  in  flocks,  generally  in  deep 
water,  diving  for  shell-fish,  which  constitute  their  principal 
food.  They  frequently  retire  to  the  rocky  shores  to  rest, 
particularly  on  the  appearance  of  an  approaching  storm. 
They  are  numerous  on  the  coast  of  Labrador,  and  are  occa- 
sionally seen  in  winter  as  far  south  as  the  Capes  of  Dela- 
ware. Their  flesh  is  esteemed  by  the  inhabitants  of  Green- 
land, but  tastes  strongly  of  fish. 


THE  CANADA  GOOSE.     (Anas  Canadensis.) 

This  (says  Wilson)  is  the  Common  Wild  Goose  of  tho 
United  States,  universally  known  over  the  whole  country; 
11 


170  THE    CANADA     GOOSE. 

whose  regular  periodical  migrations  are  the  sure  sigDah*  of 
returning  spring,  or  approaching  winter.  The  tracts  of 
their  vast  migratory  journeys  are  not  confined  to  the  sea. 
coast  or  its  vicinity.  In  their  aerial  voyages  to  and  from 
the  north,  these  winged  pilgrims  pass  over  the  interior,  on 
both  sides  of  the  mountains,  as  far  west,  at  .least,  as  the 
Osage  river ;  and  I  have  never  yet  visited  any  quarter  of 
the  country  where  the  inhabitants  are  not  familiarly  ac- 
quainted with  the  regular  passing  and  repassing  of  the 
Wild  Geese.   • 

The  general  opinion  here  is,  that  they  are  on  their  way 
to  the  lakes  to  breed ;  but  the  inhabitants  on  the  confines 
of  the  great  lakes  that  separate  us  from  Canada,  are  equally 
ignorant  with  ourselves  of  the  particular  breeding  places  of 
those  birds.  There,  their  journey  north  is  but  commenc- 
ing; and  how  far  it  extends  it  is  impossible  for  us,  at  pre- 
sent, to  ascertain,  from  our  little  acquaintance  with  these 
frozen  regions.  They  were  seen  by  Heame,  in  large  flocks, 
within  the  Arctic  circle,  and  were  then  pursuing  their  way 
still  further  north.  Captain  Phipps  speaks  of  seeing  Wild 
Geese  feeding  at  the  water's  edge  on  the  dreary  coast  of 
Spitzbergen,  in  lat.  80°  27'.  It  is  highly  probable  that 
they  extend  their  migrations  under  the  very  pole  itself, 
amid  the  silent  desolation  of  unknown  countries,  shut  out 
since  creation  from  the  prying  eye  of  man  by  everlasting 
and  insuperable  barriers  of  ice.  That  such  places  abound 
with  their  suitable  food,  we  cannot  for  a  moment  doubt ; 


THE     CANADA     GOOSE.  171 

whilo  the  absence  of  their  great  destroyer,  man,  and  the 
splendours  of  a  perpetual  day,  may  render  such  regions  the 
most  suitable  for  their  purpose. 

Having  fulfilled  the  great  law  of  nature,  the  approaching 
rigours  of  that  dreary  climate  oblige  these  vast,  congre- 
gated flocks  to  steer  for  the  more  genial  regions  of  the 
south.  And  no  sooner  do  they  arrive  at  those  countries  of 
the  earth  inhabited  by  man,  than  carnage  and  slaughter  is 
commenced  on  their  ranks.  The  English  at  Hudson's  Bay, 
says  Pennant,  depend  greatly  on  Geese,  and  in  favourable 
years,  kill  three  or  four  thousand,  and  barrel  them  up  for 
use.  They  send  out  their  servants,  as  well  as  Indians,  to 
shoot  these  birds  on  their  passage.  It  is  in  vain  to  pursue 
them ;  they  therefore  form  a  row  of  huts,  made  of  boughs, 
at  musket-shot  distance  from  each  other,  and  place  them  in 
a  line  across  the  vast  marshes  of  the  country.  Each  stand, 
or  hovel,  as  it  is  called,  is  occupied  by  only  a  single  person. 
These  attend  the  flight  of  the  birds,  and,  on  their  approach, 
mimic  their  cackle  so  well  that  the  Geese  will  answer,  and 
wheel,  and  come  nearer  the  stand.  The  sportsman  keeps 
motionless,  and  on  his  knees,  with  his  gun  cocked  the  whole 
time,  and  never  flres  till  he  has  seen  the  eyes  of  the  Geese. 
He  tires  as  they  are  going  from  him  j  then  picks  up  an- 
other gun  that  lies  by  him  and  discharges  that.  The  Geese 
which  h(!  has  killed  he  sets  upon  sticks,  as  if  alive,  to 
decoy  others ;  he  also  makes  artificial  birds  for  the  same 
purpoae. 


172  THE    CANADA    GOOSE. 

'  Id  a  good  day, — for  they  fly  in  very  uncertain  and 
unequal  numbers,  —  a  single  Indian  will  kill  two  hundred. 
N<-«Tithstanding  every  species  of  Goose  has  a  different  call, 
yet  the  Indians  are  admirable  in  their  imitations  of  every 
one.  The  autumnal  flight  lasts  from  the  middle  of  August 
to  the  middle  of  October;  those  which  are  taken  in  this 
season,  when  the  frosts  begin,  are  preserved  in  their  fea- 
thers, and  left  to  be  frozen  for  the  fresh  provisions  of  the 
winter  stock.  The  feathers  constitute  an  article  of  com- 
merce, and  are  sent  to  England. 

The  vernal  flight  of  the  Geese  lasts  from  the  middle  of 
April  until  the  middle  of  May.  Their  first  appearance  coin- 
cides with  the  thawing  of  the  swamps,  when  they  are  very 
lean.  Their  arrival  from  the  south  is  impatiently  attended ; 
it  is  the  harbinger  of  the  spring,  and  the  month  named  by 
the  Indians  the  Goose  moon.  They  appear  usually  at  their 
settlements  about  St.  George's  day,  0.  S.,  and  fly  north- 
ward, to  nestle  in  security.  They  prefer  islands  to  the 
continent,  as  further  from  the  haunts  of  man. 

After  such  prodigious  havoc  as  thus  appears  to  be  made 
among  these  birds,  and  their  running  the  gauntlet,  if  I  may 
60  speak,  for  many  hundreds  of  miles  through  such  destruc- 
tive fires,  no  wonder  they  should  have  become  more  scarce, 
as  well  as  shy,  by  the  time  they  reach  the  shores  of  the 
United  States. 

Their  first  arrival  on  the  coast  of  New  Jersey  is  early 
in  October,  and  their  first  numerous  appearance  is  the  sure 


THE     CANADA    GOOSE.  173 

prognostic  of  severe  weather.  Those  which  continue  all 
winter  frequent  the  shallow  bays  and  marsh  islands ;  theii 
principal  food  being  the  broad,  tender,  green  leaves  of  a 
marine  plant  which  grows  on  stones  and  shells,  and  is 
usually  called  sea  cabbage ;  and  also  the  roots  of  the  sedge, 
which  they  are  frequently  observed  in  the  act  of  tearing  up. 

The  Wild  Goose,  when  in  good  order,  weighs  from  ten  to 
twelve,  and  sometimes  fourteen  pounds.  They  are  sold  in 
the  Philadelphia  markets  at  from  seventy-five  cents  to  one 
dollar  each ;  and  are  estimated  to  yield  half-a-pound  of 
feathers  apiece,  which  produces  twenty-five  or  thirty  cents 
more. 

The  Canada  Goose  is  now  domesticated  in  numerous 
quarters  of  the  country,  and  is  remarked  for  being  extremely 
watchful,  and  more  sensible  of  approaching  changes  in  the 
atmosphere  than  the  common  gray  goose.  In  England, 
France,  and  Germany,  they  have  also  been  long  ago 
domesticated.  "- 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTE. 

Mr.  Piatt,  a  respectable  farmer  on  Long  Island,  being 
out  shooting  in  one  of  the  bays,  which,  in  that  part  of  the 
country,  abound  with  water-fowl,  wounded  a  Wild  Goose. 
Being  wing-tipped,  and  unable  to  fly,  he  caught  it,  and 
brought  it  home  alive.  It  proved  to  be  a  female;  and, 
turning  it  into  his  yard,  with  a  flock  of  tame  geese,  ic  aoon 
became  quite  tame  and  familiar,  and  in  a  little  time  its 


174  THE    CANADA    GOOSE. 

wounded  wing  entirely  healed.  In  the  following  spring; 
when  the  Wild  Geese  migrate  to  the  northward,  a  flock 
pnssed  over  Mr.  Piatt's  barn-yard ;  and,  just  at  that  moment, 
their  leader  happening  to  sound  his  bugle-note,  our  Goose, 
in  whom  its  new  habits  and  enjoyments  had  not  quite 
extinguished  the  love  of  liberty,  and  remembering  the  well- 
known  sound,  spread  its  wings,  mounted  into  the  air,  joined 
the  travellers,  and  soon  disappeared.  In  the  succeeding 
autumn,  the  Wild  Geese,  as  was  usual,  returned  from  the 
northward  in  great  numbers,  to  pass  the  winter  in  our  bays 
and  rivers.  Mr.  Piatt  happened  to  be  standing  in  his 
yard  when  a  flock  passed  directly  over  his  barn.  At  that 
instant,  he  observed  three  Geese  detach  themselves  from 
the  rest,  and,  after  wheeling  round  several  times,  alight  in 
the  middle  of  the  yard.  Imagine  his  surprise  and  pleasure, 
when,  by  certain  well-remembered  signs,  he  recognised  in 
one  of  the  three  his  long-lost  fugitive.  It  was  she  indeed ! 
She  had  travelled  many  hundred  miles  to  the  lakes;  had 
there  hatched  and  reared  her  offspring;  and  had  now 
returned  with  her  little  family,  to  share  with  them  th« 
Bweets  of  civilized  life. 


THE     SKUA    GULL.  175 


THE  SKUA  GULL.     {Lestris  catarractes.') 

This  daring  Jager,  or  feathered  pirate  of  the  ocean 
(says  Nuttall)  has  spread  its  dominion  to  the  extremes  of 
both  hemispheres,  dwelling  chiefly  on  the  hyperhoreal  of 
antarctic  seas.  It  is  found  in  the  Hebrides,  Orkney,  Shet* 
land,  and  Faroe  Islands,  as  well  as  in  Norway  and  Iceland. 
In  America,  it  is  found  in  the  high  northern  regions ;  then 
again  in  many  parts  of  the  Pacific,  at  Port  Egmont,  in  the 
Falkland  Islands  (hence  called  Port  Egmont  Hens.)  In 
the  latter  end  of  December,  their  breeding  season  in  that 
hemisphere,  at  Christmas  Sound,  in  Terra  del  Fuego,  they 
were  found  in  great  plenty,  making  their  nests  in  the  dry 
grass.  They  are  also  seen  to  the  east  of  New  Zealand. 
Such  is  the  extensive  geographic  range  of  this  species, 
according  to  Pennant  and  others,  at  the  same  time,  we  may 
fairly  doubt  the  identity  of  tbe  northern  and  southern  birds, 
since  they  are  but  rarely  seen  on  their  passage  any  great 
distance  towards  the  south.  OiF  the  coast  of  Newfoundland, 
probably  this  species  is  seen  in  June,  widely  exploring  the 
ocean,  and  in  the  depth  of  winter  they  migrate  into  the 
h"vs  along  the  coast  of  Massachusetts,  but  I  believe  they 
'^arly  unknown  as  far  south  as  the   coast    of  Nev^ 

supposed  identic  species  of  the  two  hemispheres 
-ifore  never  to  meet  in  their  range  to  warmer 


176  THE     SKUA     GULL. 

countries,  proceeding  rarely,  if  ever,  into  the  tropics,  we 
may  almost  rest  satisfied  that,  however  closely  allied,  they 
are  still  of  distinct  races,  originating  from  different  creative 
points  of  the  globe. 

The  Cataract  Yager,  so  called  by  Linnaeus  from  the 
rapidity  and  violence  with  which  it  darts  down  on  its  prey, 
is  a  vei-y  bold  and  voracious  species.  Like  the  eagle  it 
sometimes  pounces  upon  the  domestic  flocks,  and  tearing  up 
a  lamb,  carries  the  mangled  pieces  to  feed  its  craving 
brood.  In  the  rocky  island  of  Foula,  however,  better  sup- 
plied with  its  ordinary  fare  from  the  deep,  it  even  refrains 
from  injuring  the  poultry,  and  in  its  enmity  to  the  eagle, 
defends  the  flocks  from  its  attacks;  so  different,  accord- 
ing to  circumstances,  are  the  habits  and  propensities  of 
animals. 

It  however  often  preys  on  the  small  gulls  and  other  birds 
with  all  the  rapacity  of  a  hawk,  and  for  which  its  powerful 
claws  seem  to  indicate  both*  the  ability  and  instinctive 
inclination.  It  is  often,  at  the  same  time,  satisfied  with 
seizing  on  the  fish,  which  its  accidental  provider  easily  dis- 
gorges whenever  alarmed.  In  defence  of  its  young  its 
temerity  scarcely  knows  any  bound.  It  will  at  such  times 
often  attack  a  whole  company  of  men,  should  they  disturb 
it,  or  molest  its  cherished  brood. 

After  the  breeding  season,  old  and  young  take  to  the  sea, 
in  small  companies  or  pairs,  and  venture,  like  the  albatross, 
bcldly  and  securely  over  the  wide  ocean.     Off"  the  stormy 


THE     SKUA     GULL.  177 

Cape  of  Good  Hope  and  Cape  Horn,  as  in  the  middle  of  the 
vast  Atlantic,  these  black  and  piratical  birds,  like  weathered 
mariners,  are  seen  to  levy  their  contributions  upon  the 
inhabitants  of  the  deep,  soaring  on  high  above  the  mountain 
wave,  and  flying  out  in  easy  circling  tours  like  so  many 
boding  ravens,  occasionally  reconnoitring  at  a  distance  the 
sailing  vessel  that  accidentally  ventures  across  their  wide 
and  desolate  domain. 

In  the  southern  hemisphere,  bold  and  predaceous  by 
privation,  the  Skua  Jager  is  frequently  seen  to  attack  the 
gigantic  albatross,  beating  it  with  violence  while  on  the 
wing,  and  who  generally  escapes  from  the  daring  freebooter 
alone  by  settling  down  into  the  water.  Still  the  Jager 
himself  succumbs  to  the  rage  and  violence  of  the  elements, 
and  at  the  approach,  or  during  the  continuance  of  the 
tempest,  he  condescends  to  seek  out  the  shelter  of  the  bay 
or  the  neighbouring  coast.  They  are  also  not  unfrequently 
associated  with  the  common  tern,  and  have  a  somewhat 
similar  cry. 

The  Skua,  like  the  larger  Gulls,  commonly  feeds  on  fish 
and  mollusca,  as  well  as  on  carrion  and  cetaceous  animals, 
and  seeking  out  the  nests  of  other  marine  birds,  he  robs 
them  frequently  of  their  eggs.  They  nest  themselves  in  the 
remote  and  cold  regions,  associating  in  large  bands,  on  the 
summits  of  mountains,  or  in  the  herbage  and  heath  con- 
tiguous to  the  coast.  They  lay  three  or  four  very  pointed 
olivaceous  eggs,  sprinkled  with  large  brown  spots. 


178  THE     WOODCOCK. 

THE  WOODCOCK.     (Rusticola  minor.} 

The  American  Woodcock,  like  the  snipe,  appears  again 
to  be  a  near  representative  of  that  of  Europe,  whose  man- 
ners and  habits  it  almost  entirely  possesses,  differing,  how- 
ever, materially  in  the  temperature  of  the  climates  selected 
for  its  residence,  confining  itself  in  the  summer  to  the  south 
side  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  breeding  in  all  the  intermediate 
space  as  far  as  the  limits  of  the  Middle  States,  and  retiring 
in  winter,  for  the  most  part,  either  to  or  beyond  the 
boundary  of  the  Union. 

The  European  species,  on  the  contrary,  courting  cooler 
climates,  winters  in  Great  ^Britain  and  the  north  of  Europe, 
and  retires  as  early  as  March,  to  breed  in  the  Alps  or  in 
the  frigid  wilds  of  Sweden,  Norway,  Russia,  and  penetrates 
even' to  the  icy  shores  of  Greenland,  and  the  heaths  of  Ice- 
land. About  the  same  period,  early  in  March,  the  Ameri- 
can Woodcock  revisits  Pennsylvania,  and  soon  after  the 
New  England  or  Eastern  States.  Indeed,  so  sedentary  is 
the  species  at  times,  that  a  few  are  known  to  winter  in  the 
sheltered  forests  aad  opea  watery  glades  of  Pennsylvania ; 
at  the  same  season  also,  maay  are  seen  in  the  vicinity  of 
Natchez,  in  Mississippi. 

According  to  i!:oir  usual  habits,  they  keep  secluded  in 
the  woods  and  thickets,  till  the  j>.pproach  of  evening,  when 
they  sally  forth  to  seek  out  springt;,  paths,  and  broken  soil, 
in  quest  of  worms  and  other  insects,  on  which  they  feed. 


THE    WOODCOCK.  179 

TJi'^y  now  disperse  themselves  over  the  country  to  breed, 
and  indicate  their  presence  in  all  directions  by  the  marks 
of  their  boring  bills,  which  are  seen  in  such  soft  and  boggy 
places  as  are  usually  sheltered  by  thickets  and  woods.  They 
•ilso  turn  over  the  fallen  leaves  from  side  to  side  with  their 
bills  in  quest  of  lurking  insects,  but  never  scratch  with  their 
f3et,  though  so  robust  in  their  appearance. 

The  sensibility  possessed  by  the  extremity  of  the  bill,  as 
in  the  snipe,  is  of  such  an  exquisite  nature,  that  they  are 
enabled  to  collect  their  food  by  the  mere  touch,  without 
using  their  eyes,  which  are  set  at  such  a  distance  and  eleva- 
tion in  the  back  part  of  the  head,  as  to  give  the  bird  a 
remarkable  aspect  of  stupidity.  "When  flushed  or  surprised 
in  their  hiding-places,  they  only  rise  in  a  hurried  manner 
to  the  tops  of  the  bushes,  or  glide  through  the  .undergrowth 
to  a  short  distance,  when  they  instantly  drop  down  again, 
and  run  out  for  some  space  on  touching  the" ground,  lurking 
as  soon  as  they  imagine  themselves  in  a  safe  retreat.  At 
times,  in  open  woods,  they  fly  out  straight  with  considera- 
ble vigour  and  swiftness,  but  the  efi'ort,  from  the  shortness 
of  the  wing,  is  always  attended  with  much  muscular 
exertion. 

Early  in  April,  the  Woodcocks  in  pairs  select  a  spot  for 
breeding,  which  is  generally  in  or  near  some  retired  part  of 
the  same  woods  which  usually  afi'ords  them  their  food  and 
shelter.  The  nest  is  placed  on  the  ground,  in  a  tuft  of 
grass,  or  in  the  protectior  of  some  old  stump.    It  is  formed 


180  THE     WOODCOCK. 

with  little  art,  of  such  withered  leaves  and  old  grass  sls  the 
convenience  of  the  place  afiFords;  the  eggs  are  four,  rathei 
large,  of  a  dark  yellowish-white  approaching  olive,  specked 
and  confluently  blotched  with  three  slightly  different  shades 
of  dark  yellowish-brown  spots,  most  numerous  at  the  greater 
end.  Eggs  have  been  found,  even  in  Massachusetts,  in 
sheltered  woods,  as  early  as  the  month  of  February;  but 
the  usual  time,  according  to  the  age  and  general  appear- 
ance of  the  young,  is  not  before  the  commencement  of 
April. 

At  this  time,  in  the  morning,  as  well  as  evening,  but  more 
particularly  the  latter,  the  male,  in  the  vicinity  of  his  mate 
and  nest,  rises  successively  in  a  spiral  course,  like  a  lark. 
While  ascending  he  utters  a  hurried  and  feeble  warble ;  but 
in  descending  the  tones  increase  as  he  approaches  towards 
the  ground,  and  then,  becoming  loud  and  sweet,  passes  into 
an  agreeable,  quick,  and  tumultuous  song.  As  soon  as  the 
performer  descends,  the  sound  ceases  for  a  moment,  when 
with  a  sort  of  stifled  utterance,  accompanied  by  a  stiff  and 
balancing  motion  of  tbe  body,  the  word  hlaik,  and  some- 
times paip  jiaip  is  uttered.  This  uncouth  and  guttural 
bleating  seems  a  singular  contrast  to  the  delightful  serenade, 
of  which  this  is  uniformly  the  close. 

I  heard  this  piping  and  bleating  (says  ^Ir.  Nuttall)  in  the 
marshes  of  West  Cambridge,  on  the  15th  of  April,  and  they 
had  arrived  about  the  fii-st  week  in  that  month.  This  noc- 
turnal music  continued  at  regular  intervals,  and  in  sucees- 


THE     WOODCOCK.  181 

Bion,  until  near  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  is  prolonged 
for  a  number  of  days  during  the  period  of  incubation,  pro- 
bably ceasing  with  the  new  cares  attendant  on  the  hatching 
of  the  brood.  The  female,  as  in  the  European  species,  is 
greatly  attached  to  her  nest,  and  an  instance  is  related  to 
me  of  a  hen  being  taken  up  from  it,  and  put  on  again  with- 
out attempting  to  fly. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

Mr.  Latham  mentions  a  female  of  the  common  "Wood-* 
cock  sitting  on  her  eggs  so  tamely,  that  she  suffered  herself 
to  be  stroked  on  the  back  without  offering  to  rise,  and  the 
male,  no  less  interested  in  the  common  object  of  their  cares, 
gat  also  close  at  hand.  The  European  species  has  had  the 
credit  of  exercising  so  much  ingenuity  and  affection,  as  to 
seize  upon  one  of  its  weakly  young,  and  carry  it  along  to  a 
place  of  security  from  its  enemies. 

Mr.  Ives,  of  Salem,  once  on  flushing  an  American  Wood- 
cock from  its  nest,  was  astonished  to  see  that  it  carried  off 
in  its  foot  one  of  its  brood,  the  only  one  which  happened  to 
Ije  newly  hatched ;  and  as  the  young  run  immediately  on 
leaving  the  shell,  it  is  obvious  that  the  little  nurslings 
could  be  well  reared,  or  all  of  them,  as  they  might  appear, 
without  the  aid  of  the  nest,  now  no  longer  secured  from 
intrusion. 

In  New  England  this  highly  esteemed  game  is  common 
in  the  market  of  Boston  to  the  close  of  October,  but  they 


182  THE     WOODCOCK. 

all  disappear  in  the  latter  part  of  December.  In  that  quar 
ter  of  the  Union  they  are  scarcely  in  order  for  shooting 
before  the  latter  end  of  July,  or  beginning  of  August ;  but 
from  this  time  to  their  departure,  they  continue  in  good 
condition  for  the  table. 

The  springes  or  springers,  set  for  Woodcocks  in  Europe, 
in  places  they  are  found  to  frequent  by  the  evidence  of  their 
borings,  &c.,  are  commoi\ly  formed  of  an  elastic  stick,  to 
which  is  fastened  a  horsehair  noose,  put  through  a  hole  in 
a  peg,  fastened  into  the  ground,  to  which  a  trigger  is  an- 
nexed :  and,  in  order  to  compel  the  Woodcock  to  walk  into 
the  trap,  an  extended  fence  is  made  on  each  side,  by  small 
sticks,  set  up  close  enough  to  prevent  the  bird  passing 
between  them ;  these  concentrate  at  the  trap,  so  that  in 
uhis  funnel-shaped  fence,  the  bird,  in  feeding,  is  made  to 
pass  through  the  narrow  passage,  and  is  almost  to  a  cer- 
tainty caught  by  the  legs. 

As  the  season  advances,  and  food  begins  to  fail,  by  reason 
of  inclement  and  cold  weather,  the  Woodcocks  leave  the 
interior ;  and  approaching  the  shelter  of  the  sea-coast  and 
the  neighbouring  marshes,  they  now  become  abundant,  and 
are,  at  such  times,  late  in  autumn,  killed  in  great  numbers. 
These  are  also  their  assembling  points  previous  to  their 
southern  migrations,  which  are  performed  in  a  desultory 
and  irregular  manner,  their  motions,  as  usual,  being  mostly 
nocturnal,  or  in  the  twilight;  and  though  many  are  now 
met  with  in  the  same  low  meadows  and  marshes,  they  are 


THE    GREAT    AUK.  183 

broTjglit  together  by  common  necessity,  and  never  move  in 
concerted  flocks. 

At  this  season,  their  movements  are  not  betrayed  by  any 
note  or  call ;  the  vocal  powers  of  the  species  are  only  called 
into  existence  at  the  period  of  propagation ;  at  other  times 
they  move  and  start  to  wing  in  silence.  The  young  run  or 
■wander  off  as  soon  as  they  are  hatched,  are  at  this  period 
covered  with  a  brownish-white  down,  and,  on  being  taken, 
utter  a  slender  bleat,  or  clear  and  long  drawn  peep. 


THE  GREAT  AUK.     {Alca  impennis). 

This  bird  is  of  the  size  of  a  goose ;  its  bill  is  black,  and 
eovered  at  the  base  with  short  velvetlike  feathers.  The 
apper  parts  of  the  plumage  are  black,  and  the  lower  parts 
white,  with  a  spot  of  white  between  the  bill  and  the  eyes, 
and  an  oblong  stripe  of  the  same  on  the  wings,  which  are 
too  short  for  flight.  It  is  a  very  bad  walker,  but  swims 
and  dives  well.  It  is,  however  observed  by  seamen,  that  it 
b  never  seen  out  of  soundings,  so  that  its  appearance  serves 
as  an  infallible  direction  to  land.  It  feeds  on  the  lump- 
fish,  and  others  of  the  same  size ;  and  is  frequently  seen  ott. 
the  coasts  of  Norway,  Greenland,  Newfoundland,  &c.  The 
female  lays  but  one  egg,  which  she  hatches  on  a  ledge,  close 
to  the  seamark. 


184  THE    SNIPE. 

There  is  another  bird  of  this  description,  called  tha 
Penguin,  of  which  there  are  several  varieties,  which  seems 
to  hold  the  same  place  in  the  southern  parts  of  the  world, 
that  the  Auks  do  in  the  northern ;  being  only  found  in  the 
temperate  and  frigid  zones  of  the  southern  hemisphere.  It 
resembles  the  former  in  almost  all  its  habits  :  walking 
erect,  and  being  very  stupid :  it  also  resembles  it  in  colour, 
shortness  of  wings,  rapidity  of  swimming,  mode-  of  feeding, 
and  of  making  its  nest.  These  birds  hatch  their  young  in 
an  erect  position ;  and  cackle  like  geese,  but  in  a  hoarser 
tone.  The  most  remarkable  kind  is  the  Crested  Penguin, 
which  inhabits  several  of  the  South  Sea-  islands,  and  which 
is  sometimes  called  the  Hopping  Penguin,  or  Jumping 
Jack,  from  the  circumstance  of  its  leaping  quite  out  of  the 
water,  sometimes  to  the  height  of  three  or  four  feet,  when 
it  meets  an  obstacle  in  its  course. 


THE  SNIPE.    {Scolopax  Wikonii.) 

The  Snipe  of  North  America,  so  nearly  related  to  that  of 
Europe,  is  found  according  to  the  season,  in  every  part 
of  the  continent,  from  Hudson's  Bay  to  Cayenne,  and  does 
not  appear  indeed  sufficiently  distinct  from  the  Brazilian 
S»ipe  of  Swainson,  which  inhabits  abundantly  the  whole  of 


THE     SNIPE.  185 

South  America  as  far  as  Chili.  Many  wintel  in  the  marshes 
and  inundated  river-grounds  of  the  Southern  States  of 
the  Union,  where  they  are  seen  in  the  month  of  February, 
frequenting  springs  and  boggy  thickets;  others  proceed 
along  the  coast  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  even  penetrate 
into  the  equatorial  regions. 

By  the  second  week  in  March,  they  begin  to  revisit  the 
marshes,  meadows,  and  low  grounds  of  the  Middle  States, 
and  soon  after  they  arrive  in  New  England.  In  mild  and 
cloudy  weather,  towards  evening,  and  until  the  last  rays  of 
the  setting  sun  have. disappeared  from  the  horizon,  we  hear, 
as  in  the  north  of  Europe,  the  singular  tremulous  murmur- 
ings  of  the  Snipes,  making  their  gyratory  rounds  so  high  in 
the  air  as  scarcely  to  be  visible  to  the  sight.  This  hum- 
ming, or  rather  flickering  and  somewhat  wailing  sound, 
has  a  great  similarity  to  the  booming  of  the  night-hawk ; 
but  more  resembles  the  sound  produced  by  quickly  and 
interruptedly  blowing  into  the  neck  of  a  large  bottle  than 
the  whirring  of  a  spinning-wheel. 

But,  however  difficult  and  awkward  may  be'  our  attempts 
to  convey  any  adequate  idea  of  this  quailing  murmur,  it 
seems  to  be,  to  its  agent,  an  expression  of  tender  feeling  or 
amatory  revery,  as  it  is  only  uttered  at  the  commencement, 
and  during  the  early  part  of  the  pairing, season,  while 
hovering  over  those  marshes  or  river-meadows,  which  are 
to  be  the  cradle  and  donicil  of  their  expected  progeny,  aa 
they  have  already  been  of  themselves  and  their  mates. 
12 


186  THE    SNIPE. 

This  note  is  probably  produced  by  an  undulatory  motion 
of  air  in  the  throat,  while  in  the  act  of  whirling  flight ;  and 
appears  most  distinct  as  the  Snipe  descends  towards  the 
ground.  However  produced,  the  sound  and  its  originatora 
are  commonly  so  concealed  by  the  fast  closing  shades  of 
night,  and  the  elevation  from  whence  it  issues  in  cloudy 
weather,  that  the  whole  seems  shrouded  in  mystery. 

My  aged  maternal  parent  (says  Mr.  Nuttall)  remembered, 
and  could  imitate  with  exactness  this  low  wailing  murmur, 
which  she  had  for  so  many  years  heard  over  the  marshes  of 
my  native  Ribble,  in  the  fine  evenings  of  spring,  when  all 
nature  seemed  ready  to  do  homage  for  the  bounties  of  the 
season ;  and  yet  at  the  age  of  seventy,  the  riddle  had  not 
been  expounded  with  satisfaction. 

Over  the  wide  marshes  of  Fresh  Pond,  about  the  middle 
of  April,  my  attention  was  called  to  the  same  invisible 
voice,  which  issued  from  the  floating  clouds  of  a  dark 
evening;  the  author  was  here,  called  the  Alewife  Bird, 
from  its  arrival  with  the  shoals  of  that  fish  in  the  neigh- 
bouring lake. 

From  the  elevation  at  which  the  sound  issued,  probably, 
it  appeared  less  loud  and  distinct  than  that  which  I  have 
since  heard  from  the  English  Snipe.  I  imagined  then, 
that  the  noise  was  made  by  the  quick  and  undulatory  fan- 
ning of  the  wings,  but  this  would  not  produce  the  shrillness 
of  tone  by  which  it  is  characterized,  as  any  one  may  satisfy 
himself  by   hearkening   to   the   very   diflferent   low   buza 


THK     JillPB.  ■    187 

made  by  the  wings  of  the  humming  bird.  In  this  instance, 
as  well  as  in  the  former,  all  my  sporting  acquaintance  were 
familiar  with  this  quivering  call,  but  had  never  decided 
upon  its  author. 

At  the  same  time,  probably  instigated  by  anger  and 
jealousy,  I  observed  flying  high  and  rapid,  a  pair  of  these 
Snipes,  who  then  uttered  a  discordant  quacking  sound; 
something  like  the  bleat  they  make  when  they  have  de- 
scended to  the  ground,  and  which  they  accompany  with  an 
attitude  of  peculiar  stupidity,  balancing  the  head  forwards, 
and  the  tail  upwards  and  downwards,  like  the  action  of 
some  automaton  toy,  jerked  and  set  in  motion  by  a  tight- 
drawn  string. 

After  incubation,  which  takes  place  rather  early  in  tho 
spring,  the  humming  is  no  longer  heard,  and  the  sprightly 
aerial  evolutions  which  appeared  so  indefatigable,  have  now 
given  way  to  sedater  attitudes  and  feebler  tones.  A  few 
pairs  no  doubt  breed  in  the.  extensive  and  almost  inaccessi- 
ble morasses  of  Cambridge  ponds  or  lagoons ;  and  I  have 
been  informed,  that  they  select  a  tuft  of  sedge  for  the  foun- 
dation of  the  nest,  which  is  constructed  with  considerable 
art ;  the  eggs,  like  those  of  the  European  species,  about  four, 
are  perhaps  alike  olivaceous  and  spotted  with  brown. 

They  probably  scatter  themselves  over  the  interior  of  the 
continent  to  breed,  nowhere  associating  in  great  numbers  j 
nor  are  they  at  all  common  in  the  hyperboreal  retreats 
chosen  by  so  many  of  the  otter  wading  birds.     My  friend, 


188    '  THE     SNIPE. 

Mr.  Ives,  of  Salem,  also  informs  me,  that  a  few  pairs  of  thil 
species  breed  in  that  vicinity 

The  Snipe,  almost  nocturnal  in  its  habits,  conceals  itself 
with  assiduity  in  the  long  grass,  sedge,  and  rushes  of  its 
enswamped  and  boggy  retreat.  Aware  of  danger  from  the 
approach  of  the  sportsman,  it  springs  at  a  distance  with 
great  rapidity,  uttering  usually  a  feeble  squeak ;  and  making 
several  inflections  before  it  takes  a  direct  course,  it  becomes 
very  difficult  to  shoot,  and  is  more  easily  caught  with  a 
snare  or  springe  similar  to  that  which  is  set  for  woodcocks. 
Being,  deservedly,  in  high  repute,  as  an  exquisite  flavoured 
game,  great  pains  are  taken  to  obtain  Snipes. 

In  the  spring  season,  on  their  first  arrival,  they  are  lean ; 
but  in  the  autumn,  assembled  towards  the  coast  from  all 
parts  of  the  interior,  breeding  even  to  the  banks  of  the 
Mississippi,  they  are  now  fat  and  abundant,  and,  accom- 
panied by  their  young,  are  at  this  time  met  with  in  all  the 
low  grounds  and  enswamped  marshes  along  the  whole  range 
of  the  Atlantic ;  but  ever  shy  and  dexterous,  they  are  only 
game  for  the  most  active  and  eager  sportsmen.  When  on 
the  wing,  they  may,  like  many  other  birds  of  this  family, 
be  decoyed  and  attracted  by  the  imitation  of  their  voice. 

They  are,  like  the  European  Snipe,  which  migrates  to 
winter  in  England,  by  no  means  averse  to  cold  weather,  so 
long  as  the  ground  is  not  severely  frozen,  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  exclude  their  feeding ;  so  that  even  in  Massachusetts 
they  arc  found  occasionally  down  to  the  middle  of  December 


THE     CAROLINA     RAIL.  189 

They  are  nowhere  properly  gregarious,  but  only  accident- 
ally associate,  where  their  food  happens  to  be  abundant. 
For  this  purpose  they  are  perpetually  nibbling  and  boring 
the  black  marshy  soil,  from  which  they  sometimes  seem  to 
collect  merely  the  root-fibres  which  it  happens  to  contain, 
though  their  usual  and  more  substantial  fare  consists  of 
worms,  leeches,  and  some  long-legged  aquatic  insects ;  the 
Snipe  of  Europe  also  seizes  upon  the  smaller  species  of 
Scarabceus.  Their  food,  no  doubt,  is  mixed  with  the  black 
and  slimy  earth  they  raise  while  boring  for  roots  and  worms, 
and  which,  in  place  of  gravel,  or  other  hard  substances, 
appears  to  be  the  usual  succedaneum  they  employ  to  assist 
their  digestion  and  distend  the  stomach. 


THE  CAROLINA  RAIL.    (RaUus  Carolinus.J      ' 

The  Soree,  or  Common  Rail  of  America,  which  assemble 
in  such  numbers  on  the  reedy  shores  of  the  larger  rivers,  in 
the  Middle  and  adjoining  warmer  states,  at  the  approach 
of  autumn,  and  which  afford  such  abundant  employ  to  the 
sportsman,  at  that  season,  like  most  of  the  tribe  to  which  i^ 
belo.igs,  is  a  bird  of  passage,  wintering  generally  south  of 
the  limits  of  the  Union. 

They  begin  to  make  th^ir  appearance,  in  the  marshes  of 


190  THE    CAROLINA    RAIL. 

G}«orgia,  by  the  close  of  February ;  and,  on  the  2d  of  May, 
Wilson  obserred  them  in  the  low  watery  meadows  below 
Philadelphia.  In  the  remote  fur  countries  of  the  north,  up 
to  the  62d  parallel,  they  are  common  through  the  summer, 
and  were  observed  by  Dr.  Richardson  to  be  particularly 
abundant  on  the  banks  of  the  small  lakes  that  skirt  the 
Saskatchewan  plains.  In  the  vast  reedy  marshes,  swamps, 
and  lagoons  of  these  desolate  regions,  the  greater  part  of 
the  species  are  no  doubt  reared,  as  but  few  of  them  are  evei 
known  to  breed  in  the  warmer  parts  of  the  continent,  and 
the  history  of  their  manners,  at  the  period  of  incubation,  is, 
therefore,  still  a  blank. 

The  observations  of  persons  not  conversant  with  the  nice 
distinctions  necessary  in  natural  history,  ought  to  be  received 
with  caution,  as  they  might  easily  confound  the  mere  young 
of  the  present  and  the  preceding  species,  as  one  and  the 
same.  The  alleged  nest,  eggs,  and  young  birds  covered 
with«a  black  down,  mentioned  by  Wilson,  agree  perfectly 
with  the  Virginian  Rail ;  but  the  length  of  the  bill,  and 
any  other  discriminating  particulars,  are  wholly  omitted. 

We  may  conclude,  therefore,  up  to  the  present  time,  that 
the  actual  young  and  nest  of  the  Sorce  are  yet  unknown, 
and  that  all  which  has  been  said  on  this  subject  is  but  con* 
jecture,  or  a  misapplication  of  facts  belonging  to  the  pr©. 
ceding  species. 

Like  the  other  migrating  waders,  the  Rails,  accompanied 
by  their  swarming  broods,  bred  in  the  north  and  west, 


THE     CAROLINA    RAIL.  191 

begin  to  show  themselves  on  the  reedy  borders  of  the  Dela- 
ware, and  other  large  waters  of  the  Middle  States,  whose 
still  and  sluggish  streams,  spreading  out  over  muddy  flats, 
give  birth  to  an  abundant  crop  of  the  seeds  of  the  wild 
rice,  now  the  favourite  food  of  the  Rails  and  the  rice 
birds. 

On  first  arriving,  from  the  labour  and  privation  incident 
to  their  migrations,  they  are  lean,  and  little  valued  as  food ; 
but  as  their  favourite  natural  harvest  begins  to  swell  out 
and  approach  maturity,  they  rapidly  fatten ;  and,  from  the 
middle  of  September  to  the  same  time  in  October,  they 
are  in  excellent  order  for  the  table,  and  eagerly  sought 
after  wherever  a  gun  can  be  obtained  and  brought  into 
operation. 

Walking  by  the  borders  of  these  reedy  rivers,  in  ordinary 
seasons,  you  hear,  in  all  directions,  the  crowding  Rails 
squeaking  like  young  puppies.  If  a  stone  be  thrown  in 
amongst  them,  there  is  a  general  outcry  through  the  reeds, 
a  confused  and  reiterated  'kulc  'kuh  'huk  'k'7c  'k'k,  resounds 
from  the  covered  marsh,  and  is  again  renewed  by  the  timid 
throng,  on  the  discharge  of  a  gun  or  any  other  sudden  noise 
within  their  hearing. 

The  Rails,  however  numerous,  are  scarcely  visible,  unless 
it  be  at  or  near  to  high  water ;  for  when  the  tide  is  down, 
they  have  the  art  so  well  to  conceal  themselves  among 
the  TGfidSf  that  you  may  walk  past  and  even  over  them, 


192  THE    CAROLINA    RAIL. 

where  there  are  hundreds,  without  seeing  probably  a  singl« 
individual. 

The  flight  of  the  Rails,  while  confined  among  the  rice 
reeds,  is  low,  feeble,  and  fluttering,  with  the  legs  hanging 
down,  as  if  the  eflPort  were  unnatural  and  constrained,  which 
vaaj,  no  doubt,  at  times,  be  produced  by  the  extreme  cor- 
pulency which  they  attain  in  a  favourable  season  for  food  j 
yet,  occasionally,  they  will  rise  to  a  considerable  height, 
and  cross  considerable  streams  without  any  reluctance  or 
difficulty ;  so  that  however  short  may  be  their  wings,  the 
muscles  by  which  they  are  set  in  motion  are  abundantly, 
sufficient  to  provide  them  the  means  of  pursuing  the  de- 
liberate stages  of  their  migratory  course.  Wherever  the 
Zizania  and  its  nutritious  grain  abounds,  there  the  Rails 
are  generally  seen. 

In  the  reedy  lakes  of  Michigan,  as  well  as  the  tide-water 
streams  of  the  Atlantic,  these  birds  are  found  congregated, 
in  quest  of  their  favourite  food.  In  Virginia,  they  are  par 
ticularly  abundant  along  the  grassy  banks  of  James  River, 
within  the  bounds  of  tide-water,  where  they  are  often  taken 
in  the  night,  while  perched  among  the  reeds ;  being  stupi- 
fied  by  the  glare  of  a  fire  carried  in  among  them,  they  are 
then  easily  approached  by  a  boat,  and  rudely  knocked  on 
the  head  with  a  paddle ;  sometimes  in  such  quantities,  that 
three  negroes,  in  as  many  hours,  have  been  known  to  kill 
from  twenty  to  eighty  dozen. 

Fear  seems  to  be  a  ruling  passion  among  the  whole  tribe 


THE    CAROLINA    RAIL.  198 

of  Rails  and  their  kindred  allies ;  with  faculties  for  acting 
in  the  day,  timidity  alone  seems  to  have  rendered  them 
almost  nocturnal  in  their  actions ;  their  sole  address  and 
cunning  seems  entirely  employed  in  finding  out  means  of 
concealment ;  this  is  particularly  the  case  when  wounded  j 
they  then  swim  out  and  dive  with  so  much  caution  as  sel- 
dom to  he  seen  again  above  water;  they  even  cling  with 
their  feet  to  the  reeds  beneath  that  element,  where  they 
would  sooner  endure  suffocation  than  expose  themselves 
with  any  chance  of  being  seen ;  they  often  also  skulk,  on 
•ordinary  occasions,  under  the  floating  reeds,  with  nothing 
more  than  the  bill  above  water. 

At  other  times,  when  wounded,  they  will  dive,  and  rise 
under  the  gunwale  of  the  sportsman's  boat,  and  secreting 
themselves  there,  have  the  cunning  to  go  round  as  the  ves- 
sel moves,  until,  given  up  as  lost,  they  find  an  opportunity 
of  completing  their  escape. 

According  to  the  observations  of  Mr.  Ord,  the  females^ 
more  particularly,  are  sometimes  so  affected  by  fear,  or 
some  other  passion,  as  to  fall  into  sudden  fits,  and  appear 
striitched  out  as  lifeless,  recovering,  after  a  while,  the  use 
of  their  faculties,  and  falling  again  into  syncope,  on  merely 
presenting  the  finger  in  a  threatening  attitude. 

At  such  times,  and  during  their  obstinate  divings,  they 
often  fall  victims,  no  doubt,  to  their  enemies  in  the  watery 
element,  as  they  are  sometimes  seized  by  eels  and  other 
Toracious  fish,  who  lie  in  wait  for  them ;  so  that  the  Terr 


194  THE    CAROLINA    RATI,. 

excess  of  their  fear  and  caution  hurries  them  into  additionai 
dangers,  and  frustrates  the  intention  of  this  instinct  foi 
preservation. 

The  swooning,  to  which  they  appear  subject,  is  not  un 
common  with  some  small  and  delicate  irritable  birds,  and 
canaries  are  often  liable  to  these  death-like  spasms,  into 
which  they  also  fall  at  the  instigation  of  some  immaterial  or 
trifling  excitement  of  a  particular  kind. 

During  the  greater  part  of  the  months  of  September  and 
October,  the  market  of  Philadelphia  is  abundantly  supplied 
with  this  highly  esteemed  game,  and  they  are  usually  sold" 
at  from  fifty  cents  to  a  dollar  the  dozen.  But  soon  after  the 
first  frosts  of  October,  or  towards  the  close  of  that  month, 
they  all  move  ofi"  to  the  south.  In  Virginia,  they  usually 
remain  until  the  first  week  in  November.  In  the  vicinity 
of  Cambridge  (Mass.),  a  few,  as  a  rarity  only,  are  now  and 
then  seen  in  the  course  of  the  autumn,  in  the  Zizania 
patches  which  border  the  outlet  of  Fresh  Pond ;  but  none 
are  either  known  or  suspected  to  breed  in  any  part  of  this 
state,  where  they  are,  as  far  as  I  can  learn,  everywhere 
uncommon. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

The  usual  method  of  shooting  Rail  on  the  Delaware, 
according  to  Wilson,  is  as  follows : — The  sportsman  proceeds 
to  the  scene  of  action  in  a  batteau,  with  an  experienced 
boatman,  who  propels  the  boat  with  a  pole.     About  two 


THE    CAROLINA    RAIL.  195 

hours  before  high  water,  they  enter  the  reeds,  the  sportsman 
taking  his  place  in  the  bow  ready  for  action ;  while  the 
boatman  in  the  stern-seat  pushes  her  steadily  through  the 
reeds. 

The  Rails  generally  spring  singly,  as  the  boat  advances, 
and  at  a  short  distance  ahead,  are  instantly  shot  down, 
while  the  boatman,  keeping  his  eye  on  the  spot  where  the 
biid  fell,  directs  the  vessel  forward,  and  picks  it  up  as  the 
gunner  is  loading. 

In  this  manner  the  boat  continues  through  and  over  the 
wild-rice  marsh,  the  birds  flushing  and  falling,'  the  gunner 
loading  and  firing,  while  the  helmsman  is  pushing  and  pick- 
ing up  the  game ;  which  sport  continues  till  an  hour  or  two 
after  high  water,  when  its  shallowness,  and  the  strength 
and  weight  of  the  floating  reeds,  as  also  the  unwillingness 
of  the  game  to  spring  as  the  tide  decreases,  oblige  them  to 
return. 

Several  boats  are  sometimes  within  a  short  distance  of 
each  other,  and  a  perpetual  cracking  of  musketry  prevails 
along  the  whole  reedy  shores  of  the  river.  In  these 
excursions,  it  is  not  uncommon  for  an  active  and  expert 
marksman  to  kill  ten  or  twelve  dozen  in  the  serving  of  % 
tinglo  tide 


196  THE    RUFP. 

THE  RUFF.     {Tringa pugnax.) 

The  Huff  (says  Mr.  Wilson),  no  less  than  the  family  of 
sandpipers,  with  which  it  is  associated  in  the  systems,  is 
almost  equally  given  to  wandering,  being  found,  according 
to  the  season,  dispersed  in  flocks  throughout  the  principal 
parts  of  the  cold  and  temperate  climates  of  the  northern 
hemisphere.  In  spring  they  arrive  in  great  numbers  on  the 
coast  of  Holland,  Germany,  Flanders,  and  England ;  they 
are  equally  abundant  in  Sweden,  occur  in  Denmark,  Norway, 
Finmark,  and  Iceland,  and  breed  in  the  great  desolate 
marshes  of  Siberia  and  Lapland,  as  well  as  in  milder  latitudes. 

According  to  Skioldebrand,  at  Uleaborg,  the  capital  of 
Ostrobothnia,  ihey  arrive  in  the  spring,  in  such  vast  flocks, 
as  almost  to  obscure  the  heavens,  and  resting  on  the  floating 
ice,  or  on  the  banks  of  the  rivers,  fill  the  air  with  their  con- 
fused cries;  and  the  Euffs,  contending  for  their  mates, 
appear  like  a  pigmy  army  of  pugilists.  My  friend,  Mr. 
Cooper,  about  three  years  ago,  obtained  a  specimen  of  the 
Ruff,  from  the  shores  of  Long  Island.  From  the  rarity  of 
this  occurrence,  we  can  only  consider  the  Ruff,  on  the 
American  coasts,  as  an  accidental  straggler ;  and  their  visits 
are  probably  more  common  on  the  western  than  the  eastern 
side  of  the  continent. 

The  Ruffs,  like  most  of  the  birds,  bred  in  high  boreal 
latitudes,  are  under  the  necessity  of  migrating  to  milder 
climates,  at  the  approach  of  winter.     These  northern  hostg 


THE     RUFF.  197 

therefore  uow  spread  themselves  over  Europe,  and  the  con- 
tiguous continents,  until  the  return  of  spring  invites  them 
again  to  revisit  the  north.  Different  from  the  birds  of  the 
preceding  section  of  this  genus,  the  breeding  limits  of  the 
Ruff  extend  from  the  marshes  of  England  and  Holland  to 
the  confines  of  the  Arctic  circle,  and  while  the  mass  of  the 
species  are  driven  by  the  "vicissitudes  of  the  seasons  to  per- 
form extensive  migrations  for  the  means  of  support,  others, 
residing  in  milder  climes,  scarcely  proceed  further,  in  the 
course  of  the  winter,  than  to  the  sea-coasts  in  the  vicinity 
of  their  native  marshes.  At  any  rate,  it  appears  certain, 
that  the  Ruff,  unlike  the  sandpiper,  never  wanders  into 
tropical  climates.  Come  from  where  they  may,  they  appear 
again  in  the  eastern  parts  of  Great  Britain,  to  which  their 
visits  in  that  kingdom  are  low  wholly  confined,  about  the 
latter  end  of  April,  resorting  to  the  fens  of  Lincolnshire, 
the  Isle  of  Ely,  and  a  few  other  places,  which  suit  their 
peculiar  habits. 

In  the  month  of  May,  the  male,  besides  the  red  and 
carunculated  face,  acquires  the  curious  and  ornamental  Ruff, 
which  characterizes  the  breeding  season.  It  is  scarcely 
completed  in  this  month,  and  begins  to  fall  in  the  latter  end 
pf  June.  With  this  singular  decoration,  he  also  undergoes 
a  complete  change  in  the  rest  of  his  plumage,  the  colours 
are  more  gay  and  brilliant ;  there  is  then  a  predominance 
of  rufous  and  purple  tints  among  the  others,  and  the  plain 
and  sombre  liverv  of  winter  is  laid  aside. 


i'^8 


THE     RUFF. 


Full  of  ardour  and  jealousy,  the  polygamous  Ruffs  noTr 
seek  out  the  company  of  the  Reeves,  and  when  they  have 
chosen  a  breeding-place,  the  males,  so  remarkable  for  their 
irritability,  assemble  upon  some  contiguous  rising  spot  of 
ground,  where,  like  so  many  professed  duellists,  erecting 
the  ruff  in  a  threatening  attitude,  they  take  their  stand  at  a 
small  distance  from  each  other,  and  in  their  sight,  combat 
for  the  society  of  their  favourite  females.  This  resort  for 
amorous  combat  is  at  length  so  trodden,  that  the  turf 
appears  bare,  and  this  battle-field  thus  betrays  its  company 
to  their  general  enemy  the  fowler. 

The  Ruffs  feed  chiefly  by  night,  repairing  to  the  hill  of 
contest  about  the  dawn  of  day,  and  so  pugnacious  are  they 
at  this  time,  that  they  will  often  leap  or  flirt  a  yard  from 
the  ground,  towards  some  wanderer  or  company  who  hap- 
pen to  be  passing  by;  and  an  imitation  of  this  hostile 
attitude,  by  a  rudely  stuffed  bird  jerked  at  the  end  of  a  long 
string,  is  often  sufficient  to  decoy  the  passengers  to  alight 
in  the  snare.  The  pugnacious  disposition  of  the  Ruff,  ac- 
cording to  Mr.  Baillon,  is  exhibited  as  soon  as  they  appear 
in  April,  and  before  their  arrival  at  their  breeding-place. 
In  the  marshes  of  Montreuil-sur-Mer,  where  he  had  often 
occasion  to  follow  them,  he  remarks,  that  their  first  object 
is  to  pair,  or  rather  to  fight  with  their  rivals,  while  the  feeble 
screams  of  the  females  rouse  and  exasperate  their  hostility, 
and  their  battles  are  often  long,  obstinate,  and  sometimes 
bloody.     The  vanquished  betakes  himself  to  flight,  but  tiie 


THE     RUFF.  199 

cry  of  the  first  female  he  hears  dispels  his  fears,  and  re- 
awakens his  courage,  and  he  renews  the  conflict  if  another 
opponent  appears.  These  skirmishes  are  repeated  every 
morning  and  evening  tilj  their  departure,  in  May. 

As  soon  as  the  Reeves  begin  to  lay,  both  those  arfd  their 
mates  lay  aside  their  wildness  and  desire  of  hostility,  so 
that  the  whole  may  be  caught  with  little  effort.  As  the 
attachment  of  the  females  to  their  charge  increases,  with 
the  progress  of  incubation,  they  become  still  more  embold- 
ened in  its  defence.  At  length,  the  period  of  excitement 
subsiding,  the  males,  dropping  their  nuptial  plumage,  sink 
into  tame  and  undistinguishable  wanderers,  and  seceding 
from  the  Reeves  and  their  brood,  depart  to  their  hybernal 
seclusion,  in  some  distant  country. 

The  females,  associated  in  numbers,  commence  laying 
about  the  first  or  second  week  in  May,  and  the  young  appear 
early  in  June.  The  nest  is  formed  of  grass,  in  a  tussock 
of  the  same,  in  the  most  swampy  part  of.  the  marsh.  The 
eggs,  four  in  number,  very  like  those  of  the  snipe,  as  well 
as  the  nest,  are  however  larger,  of  a  pale  greenish  hue,  with 
a  great  number  of  small  spots  and  points  of  dusky  and 
brown.  The  Reeve  is  so  remarkably  attached  to  her  eggs, 
that  after  being  caught  on  the  nest  and  carried  some  dis- 
tance, on  being  liberated,  she  went  again  to  her  eggs,  as  if 
noAing  had  molested  her.  Indeed  the  attachment  and  cou 
rage  of  the  female  for  her  young,  seem  scarcely  less  re. 
markable  than  the  pvignacious  valour  of  the  Ruff. 


200  THE     RUFF. 

The  Ruffs,  esteemed  as  a  most  delicate  game,  are  so  much 
sought  after  in  England,  as  to  be  almost  exterminated  from 
many  of  their  native  marshes,  and  sell,  when  fattened  artifi- 
cially, at  from  thirty  shillings  to  two  guineas  the  dozen. 
They  aTe  usually  taken  in  large  clap-nets,  erected  over  the 
mounds  that  the  Ruffs  have  selected  for  their  daily  combats. 
The  fowler,  repairing  to  the  spot  before  daylight,  spreads  hia 
net,  places  his  decoy  birds  (which  are  either  real  prisoners 
of  the  species,  or  rudely  stuffed  skins),  and  takes  his  stand 
at  the  distance  of  about  one  hundred  and  forty  yards,  ot 
more,  according  to  the  shyness  of  the  birds.  The  net,  sus- 
pended by  poles,  and  commanded  by  a  rope  and  pulleys,  is 
at  length  pulled  over  its  victims,  and  seldom  fails  of  secur- 
ing all  within  its  reach. 

Although  their  natural  food  consists  of  worms,  and  insects 
of  the  marshes  where  they  dwell,  when  confined  they  are 
fed  and  fattened  on  milk  and  soaked  bread,  hempseed, 
sometimes  boiled  wheat,  and  to  hasten  the  process  sugar  if 
frequently  added  to  the  rest  of  their  fare. 


»*  t 


THE 


BOOK  OF  ANIMALS. 


Canis— THE  DOG. 

Of  all  domestic  animals  which  man  has  subjected  at  hit 
control,  the  Dog  alone  has  become  his  faithful  companion 
and  friend — whose  services  are  ever  at  the  command  of  his 
master,  and  whose  fidelity  no  change  of  circumstance  can 
estrange ;  nay,  even  when  spurned  and  maltreated,  it  is  his 
generous  nature  ever  to  forgive ;  while  his  courage  and 
constancy  prompt  him  to  brave  every  hazard  of  his  own 
life  in  defending  the  person  or  property  of  the  individual  to 
whom  he  is  most  attached. 

"  Training  of  dogs,"  says  Buffon,  "  seems  to  have  been 
the  first  art  invented  by  man ;  and  the  fruit  of  that  art  was 
the  conquest  and  peaceable  possession  of  the  earth.  By  the 
assistance  of  the  Dog,  man  was  enabled  to  hunt  such  other 
animals  as  were  necessary  to  preserve  his  own  exfstenco 


22  THE     DOG. 

and  to  destroy  those  which  were  noxious  and  the  greatest 
enemies  of  his  race."  By  day,  the  Dog  is  the  attendant 
guardian  of  his  flocks,  the  agent  of  his  pleasures  in  the 
chase,  and  the  willing  slave  of  his  necessity,  in  drawing 
burdens ;  while,  at  night,  he  is  the  incorruptible  watch,  to 
whose  care  his  master  confides  in  -safety  ;  since  to  him  no 
bribe  of  the  nightly  robber  would  prove  an  inducement  to 
betray  his  trust. 

The  genera  of  the  Dog  are  very  numerous.  Buffon 
names  thirty,  and  admits  that  there  are  many  more;  but  he 
considers  the  Shepherd's  Dog  to  have  been  the  primitive, 
or  first  breed  of  the  race.  Of  the  thirty  kinds  of  Dogs  he 
speaks  of,  he  states  that  there  are  "  seventeen  which  may 
be  said  to  be  owing  to  the  influence  of  the  climate,"  and 
which  he  distinguishes  thus :  the  Shepherd's  Dog,  the 
Wolf  Dog,  the  Siberian  Dog,  the  Iceland  Dog,  the 
Lapland  Dog,  the  Irish  Greyhound,  the  Common  Grey- 
hound, the  Mastiff,  the  Great  Dane,  the  Hound,  the 
Harrier,  the  Terrier,  the  Spaniel,  the  Water  Dog, 
the  Small  Dane,  the  Turkish  Dog,  and  the  Bull  Dog  ; 
the  other  thirteen  kinds  he  declares  to  be  mongrel. 

All  creatures  of  the  Dog  kind  have  claws,  but  which  they 
caRnot  sheathe,  or  draw  in,  as  can  animals  of  the  Cat  kind. 

The  largest  of  the  Dog  genera  is  the  Irish  Greyhobnd, 
ftr  Wolf  Dog,  which  has  now  become  rare  even  in  Ireland. 
Goldsmith  says  that  he  has  seen  a  dozen  of  them,  and  was 
shown  one,  as  a  curiosity,  which  "  was  four  feet  high,  or 


THE     DOG.  2S 

as  tall  as  a  calf  of  a  year  old."  These  noble  creatures 
were  formerly  employed  in  clearing  the  country  of  wolves, 
by  which  it  was  once  infested. 

The  Mastiff  is  chiefly  a  native  of  England ;  while  the 
Bull  Dog  is  considered  to  be  wholly  so,  and  would  lose 
his  spirit  anywhere  else ;  even  in  France,  Buffon  says,  it  is 
difficult  to  preserve  the  breed  entire.  This  Dog  is  chiefly 
remarkable  for  his  courage,  and  for  his  antipathy  to  the 
Bull,  which  he  will  attack  and  pinion  to  the  ground  by  the 
nose. 

The  Mastiff  is  a  large  noble  animal,  docile  and  intelli- 
gent ;  he  is  used  chiefly  as  a  watch-dog,  and  well  knows, 
as  he  faithfully  performs,  the  duties  of  the  office  assigned 
to  him. 

We  must  not  omit  to  particularize  the  Newfoundland 
Dog,  so  well  known  in  this  country  for  his  pleasing  coun- 
tenance, sagacity,  and  attachment'  to  his  master.  He  is  a 
fine-looking  large  creature,  and  is  web-footed,  which  enables 
him  to  swim  very  expertly. 

The  life  of  a  Dog  is  about  from  twelve  to  fifteen  years. 
lie  becomes  tamiliar  with  and  assumes  the  manners  of  those 
with  whom  he  lives,  towards  strangers.  In  the  families  of 
the  groat,  or  where  he  is  not  accustomed  to  a'ssociate  with 
the  humbler  classes  of  society,  he  will  fly  at  a  beggar  who 
may  aj)proach  the  door,  and  whom  he  appears  lo  know  by 
his  dress,  voice,  and  gestures. 

Although,  in  the  forests  of  America  and  other  desert 


M  THE    DOG. 

pTacesi'tHelre  are  wild  Dogs  which  hunt,  in  packs,  the  boar^ 
bull,  and  even  the  tiger,  or  lion,  yet  they  are  always  to  be 
easily  tamed,  and  will  soon  become  attached  to  any  one 
who  treats  them  with  kindness. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

The  attachment  of  the  Dog  to  his  master  becomes 
8  ruling  passion,  and,  united  with  a  retentive  memory, 
has  led  to  some  remarkable  disclosures  of  crime.  We 
are  told  by  Plutarch  of  a  certain  Roman  slave  in  the 
civil  wars,  whose  head  nobody  durst  cut  off,  for  fear  of 
the  Dog  that  guarded  his  body,  and  fought  in  his  defence. 
It  happened  that  King  Pyrrhus,  travelling  that  way,  ob- 
served the  animal  watching  over  the  body  of  the  de- 
ceased ;  and  hearing  that  he  had  been  there  three  days 
without  meat  or  drink,  yet  would  not  forsake  his  master, 
ordered  the  body  to  be  buried,  and  the  Dog  preserved  and 
brought  to  him.  A  few  days  afterwards  there  was  a  mus- 
ter of  the  soldiers,  so  that  every  man  was  forced  to  march 
in  order  before  the  king.  The  Dog  lay  quietly  by  him  for 
some  time ;  but  when  he  saw  the  murderers  of  his  late 
owner  pass  by,  he  flew  upon  them  with  extraordinary  fury, 
barking,  and  tearing  their  garments,  and  frequently  turn- 
ing about  to  the  king;  which  both  excited  the  king's 
suspicion,  and  the  jealousy  of  all  who  stood  about  him. 
The  men  were  in  consequence  apprehended,  and  though 


THE     DOG.  25 

the  circumstances  which  appeared  in  evidence  against  them 
were  very  slight,  they  confessed  the  crime,  and  were  ac- 
cordingly punished. 

Fidelity  to  the  interests  of  his  master  is  one  of  the  most 
pleasi  g  traits  in  the  character  of  the  Dog,  and  could  be 
exemplified  by  so  many  anecdotes,  that  the  difficulty  con- 
sists in  making  a  proper  selection.  The  following,  however, 
is  worthy  of  commemoration  : — 

A  French  merchant  having  some  money  due  from  a  cor- 
respondent, set  out  on  horseback,  accompanied  by  his  Dog, 
on  purpose  to  receive  it.  Having  settled  the  business  to 
his  satisfaction,  he  tied  the  bag  of  money  before  him,  and 
began  to  return  home.  His  faithful  Dog,  as  if  he  entered 
into  his  master's  feelings,  frisked  round  the  horse,  barked, 
and  jumped,  and  seemed  to  participate  in  his  joy. 

The  merchant,  after  riding  some  miles,  alighted  to  repose 
himself  under  an  agreeable  shade,  and  taking  the  bag  of 
money  in  his  hand,  laid  it  down  by  his  side  under  a  hedgn, 
and  on  remounting,  forgot  it.  The  Dog  perceived  his  lapse 
of  recollection,  and  wishing  to  rectify  it,  ran  to  fetch  the 
bag ;  but  it  was  too  heavy  for  him  to  drag  along.  He  then 
ran  to  his  master,  and  by  crying,  barking,  and  howling, 
seemed  to  remind  him  of  his  mistake.  The  merchant  un- 
derstood  not  his  language ;  but  the  assiduous  creature 
persevered  in  its  efforts,  and  after  trying  to  stop  the  horse 
in  vain,  at  last  began  to  bite  his  heels. 

The  merchai  t,  absorbed  in  some  revery,  wholly  over- 
2    , 


96  THE     DOG. 

looked  the  real  object  of  his  affectionate  attendant's 
importunity,  but  entertained  the  alarming  ap]»rehension 
that  he  was  gone  mad.  Full  of  this  suspicion,  in  crossing 
a  brook,  he  turned  back  to  look  if  the  Dog  would  drink. 
The  animal  was  too  intent  on  his  master's  business  to  think 
of  itself ;  it  continued  to  bark  and  bite  with  greater  vio- 
lence  than  before. 

"  Mercy  !"  cried  the  afflicted  merchant,  "  it  must  be  so  ; 
my  poor  Dog  is  certainly  mad  :  what  must  I  do  ?  I  must 
kill  him,  lest  some  greater  misfortune  befall  me ;  but  with 
what  regret  1  Oh  could  I  find  any  one  to  perform  this 
cruel  office  for  me !  But  there  is  no  time  to  lose  ;  I  myself 
may  become  the  victim  if  I  spare  him." 

With  these  words  he  drew  a  pistol  from  his  pocket,  and 
with  a  trembling  hand  took  aim  at  his  faithful  servant. 
He  turned  away  in  agony  as  he  fired  ;  but  his  aim  was 
too  sure.  The  poor  animal  fell  wounded,  and,  weltering 
in  his  blood,  still  endeavoured  to  crawl  towards  his  master, 
as  if  to  tax  him  with  ingratitude,  "^he  merchant  could  not 
bear  the  sight ;  he  spurred  on  his  horse  with  a  heart  full 
of  sorrow,  .and  lamented  he  had  taken  a  journey  which  had 
cost  him  so  dear.  Still,  however,  the  m^ney  never  entere<i 
his  mind;  he  only  thought  of  his  poor  Dog,  and  tried  to 
console  himself  with  the  reflection  that  he  had  preventfc-1 
a  greater  evil  by  despatching  a  mad  animal,  than  he  hsd 
Duffered  a  calamity  by  his  loss.  This  opiate  to  his  wounded 
•pirit,  however,  was  ineffectual :  "  1  am  mor-t  unrortunate;" 


THE     DOG.  27 

said  he  to  himself ;  "  I  had  almost  rather  have  lost  my 
money  than  my  Dog."  Saying  this,  he  stretched  out  his 
hand  to  grasp  his  treasure.  It  was  missing ;  no  bag  was 
to  be  found.  In  an  instant  he  opened  his  eyes  to  his  rash- 
ness and  folly.  "  Wretch  that  I  am  !  I  alone  am  to  blame  ! 
I  could  not  comprehend  the  admonition  which  my  innocent 
and  most  faithful  friend  gave  me,  and  I  have  sacrificed  him 
for  his  zeal.  He  only  wished  to  inform  me  of  my  mistake, 
and  he  has  paid  for  his  fidelity  with  his  life." 

Instantly  he  turned  his  horse,  and  went  otf  at  full  gallop 
to  the  place  where  he  had  stopped.  He  saw  with  half- 
averted  eyes  the  scene  where  the  tragedy  was  acted ;  he 
perceived  the  traces  of  blood  as  he  proceeded ;  he  was 
oppressed  and  distracted ;  but  in  vain  did  he  look  for  his 
Dog ;  he  was  not  to  be  seen  on  the  road.  At  last  he  arrived 
at  the  spot  where  he  had  alighted.  But  what  were  his 
sensations !  His  heart  was  ready  to  bleed  ;  he  execrated 
himself  in  the  madness  of  despair.  The  poor  Dog,  unable 
to  follow  his  dear  but  cruel  master,  had  determined  to  con- 
secrate his  last  moments  to  his  service.  He  had  crawled, 
all  bloody  as  he  was,  to  the  forgotten  bag,  and,  in  the 
agonies  of  death,  he  lay  watching  beside  it.  When  he  saw 
his  master,  he  still  testified  his  joy  by  the  wagging  of  his 
tail.  He  could  do  no  more ;  he  tried  to  rise,  but  his  strength 
was  gone.  The  vital  tide  was  ebbing  fast ;  even  the  caressea 
of  his  master  could  not  prolong  his  fate  for  a  few  moments. 
He  stretched  out  his  tongue  to  lick  the  hand  that  was  now 


29  T  H  E      D  O  G  . 

fondling  him  in  the  agonies  of  regret,  as  if  to  seal  forgive- 
ness of  the  deed  that  had  deprived  him  of  life.  He  then 
cast  a  look  of  kindness  on  his  master,  and  closed  his  eyes 
in  death. 

The  late  Dr.  J.  Maculloch  has  related,  of  his  own 
knowledge,  that  a  shepherd's  Dog  always  eluded  the  in- 
tentions of  the  household  regarding  him,  if  aught  was 
whispered  in  his  presence  that  did  not  coincide  with  his 
wishes.  Sir  Walter  Scott  has  told  a  number  of  anec- 
dotes of  a  Dog  called  Dandie,  the  property  of  a  gentle- 
man, which  knew  on  most  occasions  what  was  said  in  his 
presence.  His  master  returning  home  one  night  rather 
late,  found  all  the  family  in  bed,  and  not  being  able  to  find 
the  boot-jack  in  its  usual  place,  said  to  his  Dog,  "  Dandie,  I 
cannot  find  my  boot-jack ;  search  for  it."  The  Dog,  quite 
sensible  of  what  had  been  said  to  him,  scratched  at  the  room 
door,  which  his  master  opened,  proceeded  to  a  distant  part 
of  the  house,  and  soon  returned,  carrying  in  his  mouth  the 
boot-jack,  which  his  master  had  left  that  morning  under  a 
sofa.  James  Hogg,  in  his  Shepherd's  Calendar,  declai"es 
that  Dogs  know  what  is  said  on  subjects  in  which  they  feel 
interested.  He  mentions  the  case  of  a  farmer,  "  who  had 
a  bitch  tnat  for  the  space  of  three  or  four  years,  in  the  lat- 
ter part  of  his  life,  met  him  always  at  the  foot  of  his  farm, 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  his  house,  on  rns  way  home. 
If  he  was  half  a  day  away,  a  week,  or  a  fortnight,  it  was 
til  the  same ;  she  met  him  at  that  spot ;  and  there  ne'-v 


THE     DOG.  29 

was  an  instance  seen  of  her  going  to  wait  his  arrival  there 
on  a  wrong  day.  She  could  only  know  of  his  coming 
home  by  hearing  it  mentioned  in  the  family."  The  same 
ivriter  speaks  of  a  clever  Sheep-Dog,  named  Hector,  which 
had  a  similar  tact  in  picking  up  what  was  said.  One  day 
he  observed  to  his  mother,  "  I  am  going  to-morrow  to  Bow- 
erhope  for  a  fortnight ;  but  I  will  not  take  Hector  with  me, 
or  he  is  constantly  quarrelling  with  the  rest  of  the  dogs." 
Hector,  who  was  present,  and  overheard  the  conversation, 
was  missing  next  morning,  and  when  Hogg  reached  Bow- 
erhope,  there  was  Hector  sitting  on  a  knoll,  waiting  his 
arrival.  He  had  swum  across  a  flooded  river  to  reach  the 
spot. 

An  English  officer,  who  was  in  Paris  in  1815,  men 
tions  the  case  of  a  Dog  belonging  to  a  shoe-black,  which 
brought  customers  to  its  master.  This  it  did  in  a  very 
ingenious,  and  scarcely  honest  manner.  The  officer, 
having  occasion  to  cross  one  of  the  bridges  over  the  Seine, 
had  his  boots,  which  had  been  previously  polished,  dirtied 
by  a  Poodle-Dog  rubbing  against  them.  He,  in  consequence, 
went  to  a  man  who  was  stationed  on  the  bridge,  and  had 
them  cleaned.  The  same  circumstance  having  occurred 
more  than  once,  his  curiosity  was  excited,  and  he  watched 
the  Dog.  He  saw  hinni  roll  himself  in  the  mud  of  the  river, 
and  then  watch  for  a  person  with  well-polished  boots, 
against  which  he  contrived  to  rub  himself  Finding  thai 
the  shoe-black  was  the  owner  of  the  Dog,  he  taxed  him 


80  THE     DOG. 

with  the  artifice ;  and,  after  a  little  hesitation,  he  confessed 
ihat  he  had  taught  the  Dog  the  trick  in  order  to  procure 
customers  for  himself.  The  officer  being  much  struck  \vith 
the  Dog's  sagacity,  purchased  him  at  a  high  price,  and 
Drought  him  to  England.  He  kept  him  tied  up  in  London 
some  time,  and  then  released  him.  The  Dog  remained  with 
him  a  day  or  two,  and  then  made  his  escape.  A  fortnight 
afterwards,  he  was  found  with  his  former  master,  pursuing 
his  old  trade  of  dirtying  gentlemen's  boots  on  the  bridge. 

An  anecdote  was  related  me  of  a  Dog  in  the  country., 
whose  natural  sagacity  had  been  highly  cultivated  in  his 
puppy  days.  Innumerable,  almost,  were  the  antics  which 
he  could  perform,  to  the  great  delight  of  all  the  children  in 
the  neighbourhood,  with  whom  he  was  an  especial  favourite. 
As,  however,  these  were  rather  the  result  of  hard  drilling 
than  sagacity,  they  are  not  worth  relating.  The  early 
training  to  which  he  had  been  subjected  had,  however,  the 
effect  of  expanding  his  powers,  and  giving  a  general  en- 
largement to  his  intellect.  He  acted  often  as  though  having 
a  perfect  comprehension  of  language,  and  as  showing  the 
exercise  of  a  reasoning  faculty.  For  instance ;  one  morn- 
ing I  had  occasion  to  borrow  an  article  at  a  store  in  the 
village,  and  calling  at  several  other  places  on  my  way  home, 
I  returned  to  my  room.  Some  few  hours  afterward,  wishing 
to  return  the  borrowed  article,  I  placed  it  in  "  Hero's" 
mouth,  with  the  direction  to  take  it  to  the  store  of  Mr.  B. 
I  gave  the  order  as  an  experiment,  not  much  expecting  to 


THE     DOG.  Si 

be  successful,  but  he  received  the  article  readily,  trotted  out 
of  the  room  and  down  the  street  without  hesitation,  until  he 
entered  the  proper  store,  laid  his  charge  upon  the  counter, 
and  returned  to  his  master. 

As  was  no  moi'e  than  natural,  Hero  seemed  much  in- 
terested in  every  butcher  and  butcher's  cart  which  came 
into  the  neighbourhood  of  his  master's  house.  By  watching 
attentively  the  butcher's  proceedings,  he  arrived  at  the  fact 
thai  meat  could  be  obtained  for  money.  In  some  of  his 
wanderings  about  the  house,  he  found  a  cent  in  an  exposed 
situation,  and  appropriated  it  to  his  own  use.  The  next 
time  that  a  butcher's  cart  came  into  the  neighbourhood, 
Hero  made  his  appearance  with  his  prize,  and  attracting 
the  butcher's  notice,  dropped  the  "copper"  at  his  ket,  and 
waited  till  he  had  received  its  value  in  meat.  After  this, 
Hero  was  supplied  very  freely  with  money  by  the  boys  and 
others,  all  of  which  he  expended  in  the  same  way.  Once 
or  twice  he  received  a  written  order  for  his  dinner,  and  thus 
made  another  advance  in  the  knowledge  of  currency. 
Finding  paper  as  servicabie  as  copper,  he  began  to  think  of 
a  currency  of  his  own,  and  hunting  up  pieces  of  white  paper 
in  the  streets,  would  carry  them  to  his  friend  the  butcher. 
A  few  protests  of  his  papsr,  however,  drove  him  back  to 
the  specie  currency,  in  favour  of  which  he  seemed  ever 
after  fiimly  established.  Hero,  with  all  his  sagacity  and  all 
his  good  qualities,  was  not  without  his  failings.  He  was 
aa  arrant  coward,  and  lost  by  this  failing  many  a  goo<J 


32  THS    DOG. 

thing  which  his  wit  had  insured  him.  There  is  an  old 
proverb,  that  "  those  who  know  nothing,  fear  nothing." 
Hero  knew  a  great  deal,  and  feared  everything. 

Near  to  my  father's  house  there  lived  a  retired  sea  cap- 
taui,  in  all  the  comfort  which  well  earned  wealth  could  afford. 
lie  was  a  good  old  man,  and  had  ever  a  kind  word  and  a 
pleasant  smile  for  me,  however  often  I  might  meet  him.  As 
I  think  of  him  now,  I  cannot  very  well  separate  his  image 
in  my  mind  from  his  little  yellow  Dog,  Tiger,  who  was 
always  at  his  heels,  excepting  on  Sunday.  I  am  sorry  to 
say  that  my  old  friend  was  no  church-goer,  but  then  Tiger 
was. 

With  the  females  of  the  family  he  was  always  at  church 
on  Sunday.  When  Tiger  was  well  advanced  in  years  and 
firmly  fixed  in  his  habits,  his  master's  family  changed 
their  place  of  worship.  To  this  arrangement  the  Dog  would 
never  conform.  Let  others  go  where  they  might,  old 
associations  were  too  strong  with  him  to  be  easily  dissolved. 
From  puppy  days  he  had  attended  an  Episcopal  Church, 
and  in  his  old  age  he  would  not  desert  it.  If  Tiger  was 
blameworthy  for  anything,  it  was  for  his  ^fo^matism  in  thii 
matter.  When  the  family  left  the  services  of  the  church, 
he  continued  to.  attend  them.  Often  has  he  been  seen  cf  a 
pleasant  Sunday  morning,  making  himself  as  comfortable 
as  possible  in  the  warm  sun.  The  first  bell  would  ring  for 
church,  but  Tiger  was  unmoved.  The  second  would  ring, 
and  still  Tiger  cared  not — it  began  to  toll,  and  then  with 


THE     DOG.  3S 

head  and  tail  erect,  and  with  a  sober  trot,  he  would  start  off 
for  church. 

A  short  time  since,  the  daily  papers  of  Philadelphia  con- 
tained  the  obituary  of  a  remarkable  Dog  of  the  poodle 
species,  which,  we  think,  will  please  those  of  our  young 
leaders  who  have  not  had  an  opportunity  of  perusing  the 
newspapers  : 

"  The  mournful  duty  devoJves  upon  us  of  recording  the 
sudden  and  painful  death  of  an  old  and  valued  member  of 
the  Fire  Department,  Cassius  is  no  more !  He  whose 
name  and  fame  were  spread  throughout  this  country  and 
Europe,  is  now  numbered  with  the  dead.  The  event  has 
filled  the  community  with  sorrow, 

"  Wc  have  heard  of  many  wonderful  tricks  performed  by 
dogs,  but  Cash,  as  he  was  familiarly  called,  exceeded  them 
all  in  the  extent  and  variety  of  his  knowledge.  He  had 
attached  himself  to  the  Good  Intent  Hose,  of  which  compa- 
ny he  was  a  faithful  member  for  a  period  of  about  eight 
years.  His  ear  was  singularly  acute,  as  he  could  hear  an 
alarm  of  fire  before  any  of  the  members,  of  which  he  gave 
instant  warning  by  loud  barking  and  springing  against  the 
door  of  the  hose  house.  As  soon  as  the  door  was  opened 
he  would  seize  the  rope  in  his  mouth,  leading  the  way 
towards  the  fire,  pulling  with  might  and  main  until  ample 
assistance  arrived,  when  he  would  relinquish  his  hold  and 
dash  on  ahead,  anon  returning  to  encourage  the  men  with 
a  loud  bark  or  two,  and  then  dash  onward  again.     He  was 


11  THE    DOO. 

always  the  unerring  pioneer  to  the  fire,  huspng  himself 
until  it  wjxs  subdued,  when  he  would  return  with  the  car- 
riage, carrying  the  director's  horn  in  his  mouth. 

"  Cash  had  been  taught  to  fall  down  and  pretend  to  be 
dead ;  nor  could  kicks  or  coaxing  make  him  show  a  sign 
of  life.  Generally  a  crowd  would  gather  about  his  prostrate 
and  apparently  lifeless  body,  to  express  their  grief  at  his 
demise,  when  some  one  of  the  members  would  give  a  tap 
on  the  bell,  at  which  signal  Cash  would  spring  suddenly 
up,  scattering  the  people  in  dismay  to  the  right  and  lefi. 

"  On  one  occasion  Cash  had  a  very  tough  and  long-con- 
tested fight  with  a  Dog  that  appeared  to  be  his  match  in 
every  respect.  In  the  midst  of  the  contest,  and  when  it 
was  doubtful  which  would  prove  the  better  Dog,  a  good- 
for-nothing  little  cur  ran  up  and  bit  Cash  severely  in  one 
of  his  hind  legs.  Satisfied  with  his  valorous  behaviour, 
the  little  sneak  went  back  to  his  quarters  in  his  master's 
door,  leaving  the  two  combatants  to  fight  it  out.  Cash  had 
taken  no  notice  of  the  bite,  but  went  on  with  the  fight  until 
he  whipped  his  opponent  to  his  satisfaction  and  com- 
pelled him  to  run  off;  he  then  walked  deliberately  over  to 
the  door  where  the  little  cur  was  lying,  and,  picking  hin» 
up  by  the  back  of  the  neck,  carried  him  leisurely  to  the 
gutter,  where  he  gave  him  hal^-a-dozen  good  shakes,  and 
tossed  him  indignantly  into  the  middle  of  the  street,  as  much 
%8  to  say,  '  Take  that,  you  cowardly  rascal  P 

**  Once  when  there  were  but  Cew  men  at  the  rope,  and  it 


THE     BOO.  3C 

was  found  impossible  to  urge  the  carriage  along  with  any 
thing  like  speed,  Cash  ran  on  to  the  side-walk,  and  taking 
a  gentleman  by  the  coat  actually  pulled  him  into  the  street, 
at  which  the  terrified  man  took  hold  of  the  rope,  and  worked 
like  a  Hercules,  for  fear  of  another  attack. 

"Only  a  few  days  before  his  death,  two  of  the  firemen 
were  endeavouring  to  turn  the  cylinder,  in  order  to  put  on 
the  hose.  Cash  saw  they  were  unequal  to  the  task,  so  he 
ran  around  the  corner,  and  began  to  bark  to  two  other 
members,  thus  to  attract  their  attention  and  procure  assist- 
ance. Knowing  the  dog,  they  went  around  and  helped  to 
finish  the  job. 

"  He  was  kind  and  affectionate  in  disposition,  and  particu- 
larly good  to  children,  with  whom,  as  in  truth  with  almost 
every  one,  he  was  an  especial  favourite.  To  people  of  colour, 
however,  he  had  a  decided  aversion,  and  would  never  suffer 
their  approaches.  Kind  words  and  good  bones  were  always 
on  hand  for  Cash,  and  regret  for  his  untimely  end  is  wide- 
spread. It  is  not  certainly  known  how  his  death  came 
about,  but  many  believe  that  he  was  poisoned  by  a  bad 
member  of  one  of  the  rival  companies.  He  died  in  the 
midst  of  his  usefulness,  aged  nine  years. 

"  Poor  Cash — good  Cash — faithful  Cash — human  nature 
is  not  always  gifted  with  your  intelligence !  The  ruling 
passion  was  strong  in  death.  A  few  minutes  before  his 
dissolution,  and  while  writhing  with  pain,  the  State  House 
jell  struck  for  fire — weak  and  exhausted  as  he  was,  he 


W  THE     CAT. 

Sprang  upon  his  feet,  the  intelligent  eye  lighted  with  ita 
wonted  fire — he  gave  a  feeble  bark — staggered  convulsively 
towards  the  door — and  fell  dead  ! 

"  The  nmennbers  of  the  Good  Intent  Hose  are  inconsolable 
for  his  loss,  and  good  reason  have  they  so  to  be,  as  Cash 
ne/er  missed  a  fire  for  eight  years.  They  testified  their 
grief  by  putting  the  carriage  in  mourning,  which  badge  was 
worn  for  the  usual  period  of  thirty  days.  Cash  has  been 
stuffed  and  preserved  in  a  beautiful  and  expensive  glass  case  " 


Felis— THE  CAT. 


Wild  or  tame,  at  home  or  abroad,  in  the  Cat  are 
always  seen  the  same  propensities  to  rapine  and  cruel- 
ty. The  slight  and  only  difference  between  the  wild  and 
the  tame  Cat,  is,  that  the  former  is  somewhat  larger,  with 
longer  fur.  The  wild  Cat  would  have  been  domesticated  if 
bred  in  the  house,  and  the  house  Cat  would  have  been  wild 
if  bred  in  the  woods.  Like  the  generality  of  its  ferocious 
kind — among  which  are  classed  the  Lion,  Tiger,  Leopard, 
Panther,  &c.,  the  Cat  is  treacherous  and  cruel ;  ever  watch- 
ful of  an  advantage  to  spring  unexpectedly  upon  .'ts  prey, 
rathsr  than  meet  an  antagonist  fairly  upon  equal  terms. 

The  Cat,  like  the  Dog,  is  too  common  amongst  us  to  re- 
quire any  particular  descriptioi.  of  its  form  ;  but  it  is  unlike 


T  H  E      C  A  T  .  B1 

thai  noblo  animal,  in  wanting  almost  every  generous  and 
grateful  feeling.  The  treachery  of  the  Cat  may  be  daihy 
witnessed,  by  the  art  which  it  practises  in  disguising  its 
inclination  to  plunder.  It  will  sit  patiently  watching  an 
opportunity  to  effect  its  object;  yet,  while  the  cook  is 
moving  about  the  kitchen,  fear  prevents  the  attempt.  But 
no  sooner.jioes  she  retire,  although  but  for  an  instant,  than 
with  all  the  artifice  of  a  cowardly  thief,  the  desired  booty 
is  seized  upon  and  borne  off  to  some  secret  corner,  where, 
growling  over  it  with  innate  rapacity,  the  selfish  animal 
devours  it  alone. 

Neither  is  the  cruelty  of  the  Cat  less  conspicuous  than 
her  treachery.  The  delight  with  which  she  worries  a 
mouse,  before  killing  it,  appears  to  be  heightened  by  the 
tortures  she  inflicts.  In  the  house,  she  is  remarkably 
clean,  and  is  much  more  attached  to  the  place  in  which 
she  is  accustomed  to  dwell,  than  to  the  persons  who  inhabit 
it ;  and  although  she  will  sometimes  show  a  partiality  to 
individuals,  yet  her  attentions — unlike  the  sincerity  of  the 
Dog — are  essayed  rather  for  her  own  pleasure  than  to 
please ;  and  whilst  petted  on  the  knee,  if  the  playful  pinch 
be  taken  offensively,  that  instant  she  will  unsheathe  her 
talons  and  turn  upon  her  friend. 

Young  kittens  are  amusingly  sportive,  but  their  natural 
gambols  are  always  with  extended  claws,  as  though  they 
were  about  to  destroy.  A  ball,  a  piece  of  paper,  &c.,  is 
seized  u})on,  dashed  from  them,  and  again  sprung  upon  in 


8%;  THE     CAT. 

the  playfulness  of  mock  conquest ;  but  they  soon  turn  from 
this  playfulness  to  prying  into  every  corner  of  the  house. 
They  will  smell  round  about  whatever  is  near  to  them  with 
an  air  of  suspicion  ;  and  may  afterwards  be  seen  watching 
for  hours  by  the  side  of  a  mouse-hole,  or  casting  a  wistful* 
eye  at  a  bird-cage,  since  they  prey  upon  anything  that  is 
weaker  than  themselves  and  unable  to  resist;  whether 
birds,  bats,  moles,  rats,  mice,  fowls,  &c. — all  that  they 
dare  to  attack  they  seize  upon.  They  will  eat  Catmint, 
Valerian,  and  some  other  plants. 

Cats  when  domesticated  are  very  susceptible  of  cold 
they  are  fond  of  lying  upon  warm  cushions,  of  basking  in 
the  sun,  or  before  a  fire,  and  cannot  endure  to  wet  their 
feet.  They  have  so  little  of  that  close  personal  attachment 
which  distinguishes  the  Dog,  that  they  will  be  upon  as  good 
terms  with  strangers  who  treat  them  kindly,  as  with  those 
with  whom  they  had  previously  dwelt  for  a  length  of  time. 

The  Cat  usually  lives  to  the  age  of  ten  years,  and  some- 
times much  longer.  Her  whiskers  are  of  much  use  to  her, 
and  all  animals  of  her  kind  have  them.  These  from  point 
to  point,  are  the  width  of  the  body,  and  convey  a  sense  of 
touch  or  feeling  by  which  they  all  know  through  what 
Bpace  they  c^n  pass.  If  you  touch  the  end  of  a  Cat's  whis- 
ker with  your  hand,  she  would  feel  it,  although  the  whisker 
itself  is  not  sensitive,  but  incapable  of  feeling ;  yet  in  touch- 
ing anything  with  her  whiskers  as  she  passed  along,  she 
would  feel,  in  her  upper  lip,  that  she  had  done  so.     In 


THE     CAT.  W 

common  with  all  animals  of  her  kind,  she  is  also  furnished 
with  claws,  which  she  can  sheathe  at  pleasure.  Although, 
when  we  caress  a  favourite  Cat,  we  show  a  partiality 
towards  a  creature  possessing  the  very  nature  and  propen- 
sities of  the  tiger,  yet  we  must  not  forget  that  Puss  is  no 
more  deserving  of  blame  nor  reproach  for  this,  her  natural 
disposition,  ,han  for  the  colour  of  her  skin. 

It  has  pleased  the  Great  and  Wise  Disposer  of  all  things, 
that  those  animals  of  the  Cat  kind  which  possess  the  most 
formidable  powers  of  destruction,  should  be  the  least  nu- 
merous, as  lions,  tigers,  &c. ;  while  those  are  the  most 
plentiful  which  can  do  the  least  harm,  as  the  Cat  herself. 
Besides,  she  is  very  useful  in  her  station  ;  and  has  become, 
•to  a  certain  extent,  a  domestic  dependant  in  every  quarter 
of  the  civilized  world ;  whereas  lions,  and  other  beasts  of 
prey,  have  long  since  been  banished  by  man  from  the 
neighbourhood  of  his  habitations.  The  skin  of  the  Cat  is 
prepared  for  use  by  the  furrier. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

Although  BuflTon  only  speaks  of  the  male  Cat  devouring 
young  kittens,  we  must  add  that  the  female  will  sometimes 
destroy  her  own  young.  In  the  house  wherein  we  are  now 
writing,  there  is  a  Cat  which  has  had  several  litters,  and 
of  which  she  has  suffered  one  kitten  only  to  live.  She  bites 
off  the  tails,  feet,  &c.,  of  her  brood  as  soon  as  she  has  thenoi 


iP  THE     CAT. 

SO  unnatural  is  the  creature's  ferocity  in  this  respect ;  she 
is  unsociable  and  cowardly  in  the  extreme— even  more  so 
than  those  of  her  race  generally  are — although  she  is  a  fa- 
vourite with  her  mistress  and  well  taken  care  of. 

Goldsmith  says  that  Cats  in  a  domestic  state  "  have  been 
known  to  acquire  a  considerable  degree  of  sagacity,  so  as 
to  learn  to  open  doors,  by  pressing  upon  the  latch  :"  a  book- 
Sinder,  of  London,  has  a  Cat  that,  when  he  would  go  into 
the  kitchen  and  the  doo-r  is  shut,  springs  from  the  floor  to 
the  latch,  upon  which  he  places  one  paw,  and  presses  it 
down  ;  while  with  the  other  ho  hangs  upon  the  handle,  from 
which,  as  the  door  flies  open,  he  then  drops.  To  those  in- 
stances of  "  their  strong  attachment  to  man,"  to  which  the 
above-named  writer  alludes,  we  cannot  speak,  never  having 
Been  anything  further  than  a  comparatively  slight  degree  of 
preference  evinced ; — never,  like  the  Dog,  to  show  an  anxi- 
ety to  quit  the  house  with  its  master  or  mistress,  nor  to 
express  uneasiness  at  their  absence  from  home. 

In  Waterloo  Place,  London,  we  have  often  seen  a  variety 
of  animals,  which  mostly  live  at  variance  with  each  other, 
exhibited  in  one  large  cage  by  a  man  who  shows  them  in 
the  open  air,  together.  There  are  brown  and  white  mice, 
an  owl,  various  small  birds,  a  rabbit,  fox,  &c.,  besides  which 
there  was  a  fine  large  Cat  and  a  kitten,  all  appearing  to 
live  together  in  the  greatest  harmony.  We  have  actually 
obf^rved  a  sparrow  perched  upon  the  owl's  head,  while  a 
muusp  was  running  over  the  back  of  the  Cat.     The  latter 


THE     CAT.  it 

had  certainly  nothing  to  prevent  her  gratifying  her  natural 
propensity  to  destroy,  had  sho  felt  an  inclination  to  do  so, 
hor  master  withdrew  her  from  the  cage,  while  we  examined 
her  mou'h  and  claws,  which  she  was  at  liberty  to  use,  but 
in  so  much  as  her  education  might  have  taught  her,  and 
her  fellow  prisoners,  to  live  together  in  peace  ;  and  certainly 
the  small  birds  and  the  mice  appeared  to  fly  and  run  about 
as  much  at  their  ease  as  though  neither  fox,  owl,  nor  Cat, 
had  been  of  their  community. 

It  has  been  observed  that  Cats  have  generally  a  great 
antipathy  to  wetting  even  their  feet ;  but  there  were  twd 
very  large  males,  which  were  called  garden  Cats,  as  they 
were  kept  out  of  doors  in  the  summer  season ;  and  in  the 
garden  (belonging  to  an  Inn)  where  they  ranged,  was  a  ca- 
nal, into  which  we  were  assured  both  would  plunge  after 
prey,  if  they  saw  it  swimming. 

Cats  may  be  taught  some  tricks,  as  jumping  over  a  hand 
held  before  them,  which  we  have  seen  them  do ;  but  the 
cruelty  exercised  upon  them  by  those  who  scr  k  to  obtain  a 
livelihood,  by  showing  their  unnatural  acquirements,  in 
imitation  of  human  vocations,  deserves  no  other  reward 
than  reprobation  and  contempt. 


tt  THE    HORSK. 


EaTJiTs— THE  HORSE. 

"  The  noblest  conquest  ever  made  by  man  over  the  brut6 
crea*!on,"  says  Buffbn,  "  is  the  reduction  of  this  spirited 
and  haughty  animal."  His  symmetry  of  form,  strength, 
swiftness,  and  docility  are  well  known ;  yet,  the  slave  of 
man,  his  best  energies  are  readily  devotea  to  the  service  of 
l}is  master.  In  war  he  is  courageous ;  and,  trained  to  its 
discordant  clamour,  the  shrill  blast  of  the  trumpet  and  the 
clash  of  arms  inspire  him  with  ardour  to  engage  in  the  fight. 
He  is  a  willing  participator  in  the  pleasures  and  fatigues  of 
the  chase  ;  and,  as  the  domestic  drudge,  he  toils  with  patient 
perseverance  to  the  very  uttermost  of  his  strength  and  ability. 
Is  it  not  then  shocking  to  see  so  noble  a  brute  treated  with 
wanton  tyranny  by  brutes  in  human  shape?  Cruelty  in 
any  case  evinces  a  callous  depravity  of  mind  ;  but  exercised 
towards  an  animal  so  generous  in  its  nature  as  the  Horse, 
it  appears  in  the  highest  degree  inhuman ;  nor  can  we  be- 
lieve that  he  who  derives  any  pleasure  in  ill-treating  him, 
would  not  feel  a  similar  gratification  in  torturing  one  of  his 
own  species,  had  he  the  power  of  doing  so  with  impunity. 

Horses  vary  in  size  according  to  their  breed  and  counlry. 
We  have  seen  two  of  these  animals  exhibited  at  diffen^nl 
periods  in  London,  the  one  remarkable  for  its  extreme  height, 
the  other  no  less  so  for  its  diminutiveness.  The  former 
eighteen  hands  high,  that  is,  six  feet  in  height,  from  the 
withers  (or  top  o**  the  shoulders)  to  the  hoof;  the  lattei 


THE     HORSE.  43 

scarcely  eight  hands,  or  thirty-two  inches.  It  is  charac. 
teristic  of  animals  of  the  Horse  kind  to  have  their  hoofs  in 
one  solid  piece. 

The  wild  Horse  was  known  by  the  ancients  to  inhabit 
the  forests  of  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa.  In.America,  indeed 
he  was  an  entire  stranger  until  introduced  by  the  Spaniards  ; 
where  the  natives  at  first  believed  that  the  Horse  and  his 
rider  were  one  animal  only,  and  fled  at  the  sight  of  so 
terrific  a  monster. 

Wild  Horses,  however,  have  disappeared  wherever  popu- 
lation has  become  abundant.  In  Europe,  therefore,  they 
are  no  longer  to  be  found ;  but  in  Mexico  and  in  the  West- 
ern States,  the  descendants  of  those  introduced  by  the  early- 
settlers  have  become  so  numerous  as  to  be  seen  in  herds  of 
several  thousands.  The  natives  take  these  animals  by 
stratagem  as  they  require  them,  by  throwing  a  rope  with  a 
noose  (called  the  lasso)  over  them.  While  they  are  sleep- 
ing or  feeding,  one  of  the  herd  always  acts  as  sentinel,  and 
gives  notice  of  the  approach  of  an  enemy  by  loud  snortings, 
upon  which  they  fly  off  at  full  speed. 

These,  howev»'r,  from  their  origin,  can  scarcely  be  called 
a  wild  breed  of  Horses.  It  is  in  the  deserts  of  Africa  and 
Asia  where  the  native  wild  Horse  ranges ; — the  courageous 
barb — the  beautiful  Arabian,  although  it  may  perhaps  now 
be  truly  said,  that  in  all  the  great  variety  of  this  noble  order 
of  animals  there  is  not  a  more  perfect  model  in  the  world 
than  the  Race-Horse. 


44  THE     HOUSE. 

To  those  who  treat  him  with  kindness,  the  Horse  soon 
becomes  attached.  He  will  stretch  forth  his  neck  for  the 
collar ;  and,  however  tired  with  the  toils  of  the  day,  when 
returning  home  he  is  aware  that  he  is  advancing  towards 
his  resting-place,  and  exerts  himself  with  persevering  ener- 
gy to  reach  it.  The  Bedouins,  or  Arabs  of  the  desert,  are 
so  attached  to  their  Horses  that  they  seem  to  consider  them 
as  members  of  their  family,  allow  them  to  inhabit  the 
same  tents  as  themselves,  and  share  their  caresses  with 
their  wives  and  children. 

The  Horse  is  said  to  live  about  twenty  years ;  but 
whatever  may  be  the  usual  age,  we  think  he  would  live 
much  longer,  if  kindly  treated  and  not  over-worked.  We 
have  a  neighbour  who  has  a  favourite  mare,  which  he  has 
been  in  the  habit  of  driving  for  the  last  thirty-two  years ; 
although  it  is  probable  that  had  she  been  the  property  of 
any  one  who  had  over-worked,  or  otherwise  ill-treated  her, 
she  would  have  died  twenty  years  ago. 

The  age  of  a  Horse  is  known  by  its  teeth  until  seven 
years  old,  but  after  that  period  there  is  no  accurate  method 
of  ascertaining  it. 

Befcj3  he  is  regularly  employed,  it  is  usual  in  all  civil- 
ized countries  to  "  break"  him,  as  it  is  termed  ;  that  is,  to 
teach  him  to  regulate  his  paces  and  direct  his  course 
according  to  the  will  of  his  master,  as  indicated  by  iho 
bridle. 


THE     HORSS 


ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

We  have  already  alluded  to  the  method  of  taking  the 
wild  Horse  in  the  forests  of  South  America,  by  throwing 
a  cord  (called  a  lasso)  over  him,  which  is  effected  by  men 
mounted  on  domesticated  Horses,  that  have  been  trained  to 
the  business.  Once  made  a  prisoner,  and  kept  for  a 
couple  of  days  without  food  or  drink,  ho  soon  becomes 
tame  and  is  broken-in ;  but  if  not  closely  watched,  he  will 
escape  to  his  friends  of  the  forest,  and  yet  he  will  after- 
wards allow  himself  readily  to  be  taken.  Several  instances 
have  been  known  of  persons  who  have  met  with  their  tamed 
runaways  in  the  herd,  which  after  a  long  absence  have 
come  up  to  them,  again  to  receive  their  caresses — and 
have  again  become  their  willing  slaves.  By  some  travellers 
it  is  asserted,  that  the  wild  herds  endeavour  by  stratagem 
to  seduce  tame  horses  to  join  their  community. 

We,  some  years  since,  saw  the  favourite  charger  of 
Buonaparte ;  he  was  a  handsome  white  barb,  scarred  with 
many  wounds,  which  the  groom  stated  him  to  have  received 
in  various  battles ;  and  who  said  also  that,  since  he  had 
lost  his  master,  he  would  not  allow  any  stranger  to  mount 
him ;  permitting  only  the  groom  himself  the  honour  of 
doing  so,  who  always  spoke  to  the  animal  in  French,  and 
whose  commands  were  readily  obeyed.  He  would  bid  him 
•o  retire,  to  lie  down,  to  rise,  and  show  how  he  fought  ip 


46  THE     HORSE. 

the  service  of  Buonaparte ;  and  how  he  shared  his  provi 
sions  when  they  were  scarce.  After  obeying  the  previoui 
commands  of  the  groom,  he  would,  in  obedience  to  the 
fast,  show  how  he  shared  his  food,  by  going  to  a  pail  of 
water,  in  which  there  was  a  cleanly  scraped  carrot,  and 
taking  the  end  of  it  in  his  mouth,  he  would  bring  it  to  the 
groom,  into  whose  mouth  he  placed  the  other  end,  and  then 
bit  it  in  two,  eating  his  own  portion  only. 

Occasionally  equine  attachment  exhibits  itself  in  a  light 
as  exalted  and  creditable  as  that  of  the  human  mind.  Du- 
ring  the  peninsular  war,  the  trum]ieter  of  a  French  cavalry 
corps  had  a  fine  charger  assigned  to  him,  of  which  he 
became  passionately  fond,  and  which,  by  gentleness  of  dis- 
position and  uniform  docility,  equally  evinced  its  nlfection. 
The  sound  of  the  trumpeter's  voice,  the  sight  of  his  uni- 
form, or  the  twang  of  his  trumpet,  was  sufficient  to  throw 
this  animal  into  a  state  of  excitement ;  and  he  appeared  to 
be  pleased  and  happy  only  when  under  the  saddle  of  his 
rider.  Indeed  he  was  unruly  and  useless  to  everybody 
else;  for  once,  on  being  removed  to  another  pait  of  the 
forces,  and  consigned  to  a  young  officer,  he  resolutely  re- 
fused to  perform  his  evolutions,  and  bolted  straight  to  the 
trumpeter's  station,  and  there  took  bio  stand,  jostling  along, 
side  his  former  master.  This  animal,  on  being  restored  to 
the  trumpeter,  carried  him,  during  several  of  the  peninsular 
campaigns,  through  many  difficulties  and  hair-breadth  es- 
capes.    At  last  the  corps  to  which  he  belonged  was  worsted, 


4$ 


THEHOBSE.  47 

and  in  the  confusion  of  retreat  the  trumpeter  was  mortally 
wounded.  Dropping  from  his  horse,  his  body  was  found, 
many  days  after  the  engagement,  stretched  on  the  sward, 
with  the  faithful  charger  standing  beside  it.  During  the 
long  interval,  it  sc^ms  that  he  had  never  quitted  the  trum- 
petei's  side,  but  had  stood  sentinel  over  his  corpse,  scaring 
away  the  birds  of  prey,  and  remaining  totally  heedless  of 
\\s  own  privations.  When  found,  he  was  in  a  sadly  re- 
Juced  condition,  partly  from  loss  of  blood  through  wounds, 
but  chiefly  from  want  of  food,  of  which,  in  the  excess  of  his 
grief,  he  could  not  be  prevailed  on  to  partake. 

Though  Providence  seems  to  have  implanted  in  the  Horse 
a  benevolent  disposition,  with  at  the  same  time  a  certain 
awe  of  the  human  race,  yet  there  are  instances  on  record 
of  his  recollecting  injuries,  and  fearfully  revenging  them. 
A  person  near  Boston  (Mass.),  was  in  the  habit,  when- 
ever  he  wished  to  catch  his  Horse  in  the  field,  of  taking  a 
quantity  of  corn  in  a  measure  by  way  of  bait.  On  calling 
to  him,  the  Horse  would  come  up  and  eat  the  corn,  while 
the  bridle  was  put  over  his  head.  But  the  owner  having 
deceived  the  animal  several  times,  by  calling  him  when  he 
had  no  corn  in  the  measure,  the  Horse  at  length  Segan  to 
suspect  the  design;  and  coming  up  one  day  as  usual,  on 
b«nng  called,  looked  into  the  measure,  and  seeing  it  empty, 
turned  roimd,  reared  on  his  hind  legs,  and  killed  his  master 
on  the  spot. 

The  attachments  which  the  Horse  will  form,  v/hen  sepa* 


48  THE     HORSE. 

rated  from  his  own  kind,  are  often  curious  and  inexplicable, 
showing  how  much  the  whole  animal  creation,  from  man 
himself  to  the  humblest  insect,  is  under  the  influence  of  a 
social  nature.  "  Even  great  disparity  of  kind,"  says 
White,  "  does  not  always  prevent  social  advances  and  mu- 
tual fellowship ;  for  a  very  intelligent  and  observant  person 
has  assured  me,  that  in  the  former  part  of  his  life,  keeping 
but  one  Horse,  he  happened  also  on  a  time  to  have  but  one 
solitary  hen.  These  two  incongruous  animals  spent  much 
of  their  time  together  in  a  lonely  orchard,  where  they  saw 
no  creature  but  each  other.  By  degrees  an  apparent  regard 
began  to  take  place  between  these  two  sequestered  indi- 
viduals. The  fowl  would  approach  the  quadruped  with 
notes  of  complacency,  rubbing  herself  quietly  against  his 
legs,  while  the  Horse  would  look  down  with  satisfaction, 
and  move  with  the  greatest  caution  and  circumspection, 
lest  he  should  trample  on  his  diminutive  companion.  Thus, 
by  mutual  good  offices,  each  seemed  to  console  the  vacant 
hours  of  the  other;  so  chat  Milton,  when  he  puts  the 
following  sentiment  in  the  mouth  of  Adam,  seems  somewhat 
mistaken — 

Much  less  can  bird  with  beast,  or  fish  with  fowl 
So  well  converse,  nor  with  the  ox  the  ape." 

The  docility  of  the  Horse  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
of  his  natural  gifts.  Furnished  with  acute  senses,  an  ex- 
cellent memory    high  intelligence,  and  gentle  disposition, 


THE     HORSE.  # 

he  soon  learns  to  know  and  obey  his  master's  will,  and  to 
perform  certain  actions  with,  astonishing  accuracy  and  pre- 
cision. The  range  of  his  performances,  however,  is  limited 
by  his  physical  conformation :  he  has  not  a  hand  to  grasp, 
a  I  roboscis  to  lift  the  minutest  object,  nor  the  advantages 
of  a  light  and  agile  frame ;  if  he  had,  the  monkey,  the  dog, 
and  the  elephant,  would  in  this  respect  be  left  far  behind 
him. 

It  has  been  before  remarked,  that  the  Horse  is  inferior  tc 
none  of  the  brute  creation  in  sagacity  and  general  intelli- 
gence. In  a  state  of  nature,  he  is  cautious  and  watchful ; 
and  the  manner  in  which  the  wild  herds  conduct  their 
marches,  station  their  scouts  and  leaders,  shows  how  fully 
they  comprehend  the  necessity  of  obedience  and  order. 
All  their  movements,  indeed,  seem  to  be  the  result  of 
reason,  aided  by  a  power  of  communicating  their  ideas  far 
superior  to  that  of  most  other  animals.  The  neighings  by 
which  they  communicate  terror,  alarm,  recognition,  the 
discovery  of  water  and  pasture,  &.c,,  are  all  essentially 
different,  yet  instantaneously  comprehended  by  every  mem- 
ber of  the  herd ;  nay,  the  various  movements  of  the  body, 
the  pawing  of  the  ground,  the  motions  of  the  ears,  and  the 
expressions  of  the  countenance,  seem  to  be  fully  understood 
by  each  other.  In  passing  swampy  ground,  they  test  it 
with  the  fore-foot,  before  trusting  to  it  the  full  weight  of 
their  bodies ;  they  will  strike  asunder  the  melon-cactus  to 
obtain  its  succuleat  juice,  with  an  address  perfectly  wonder- 


DU  THEHOKSE. 

ful ;  and  will  scoop  out  a  hollow  in  the  moist  sand,  in  tht 
expectation  of  its  filling  with  water.  All  this  they  do  in 
their  wild  state;  and  domestication,  it  seems,  instead  of 
deteriorating,  tends  rather  to  strengthen  and  develope  their 
intelligence. 

The  Arabians  try  the  speed  of  their  Horses,  by  hunting 
the  ostrich — the  bird  endeavours  to  reach  the  mountains, 
running  along  the  sands  with  great  rapidity,  assisted  in  its 
efforts  by  flapping  its  wings.  A  Horse,  however,  possessing 
the  highest  quality  of  speed,  is  enabled  to  come  up  with  it ; 
when  the  poor  creature  hides  its  head  in  a  bush,  or  wher- 
ever it  can,  and  is  quietly  taken.  By  this  criterion  the 
hunter  rates  his  Horse  ;  and  as  the  animal  evinces  his  speed 
and  perseverance  in  the  chase,  his  master  estimates  his  value. 
The  Arabs  accustom  their  Horses  to  fatigue,  and  give  them 
milk  which  enables  them  to  bear  it. 

The  late  Major  Denham,  in  speaking  of  the  regret  he  felt 
at  the  loss  of  his  favourite  Horse,  in  the  Desert  of  Central 
Africa,  says,  "  The  poor  animal  had  been  my  support  and 
my  comfort ;  nay,  I  may  say  my  companion,  through  many 
a  dreary  day  and  night;  had  endured  both  hunger  and 
thirst  in  my  service  ;  and  was  so  docile,  that  he  would  stand 
still  for  hours  in  the  desert  while  I  slept  between  his  legs, 
hii  body  affording  me  the  only  shelter  that  could  be  obtained 
from  tne  powerful  influence  of  a  noon-day  sun  ;  he  was  the 
fljoitast  of  the  fleet,  and  ever  foremost  in  the  chase." 


THE     ASS. 


AsiNus— THE  ASS. 

This  animal  is  of  the  Horse  tribe,  although  of  a  distinct 
species.  Unfortunately,  instances  are  not  rare  of  the  Horse 
being  ill-treated  ;  but  his  usual  fate  is  much  better  than  that 
of  the  Ass,  which  is  the  most  patient,  frugal,  forbearing, 
and  ill-used  creature  ever  forced  into  the  service  of  a  tyrant 
ruler. 

Of  the  Ass  so  little  care  is  taken  that,  where  he  is  re- 
warded according  to  his  merits,  it  is  an  exception,  and  not 
the  rule  of  his  treatment.  Unlike  the  Horse,  no  education 
is  bestowed  upon  him,  to  improve  his  naturally  excellent 
qualities.  In  certain  diseases,  Asses'  milk  is  prescribed  as 
the  most  effective  remedy ;  and  then  only  is  the  Ass  per- 
mitted to  join  the  ranks  of  other  quadrupeds  of  the  great, 
from  which  at  all  other  times  his  family  are  excluded. 
They  are  usually  the  unpitied  servants  of  the  most  unfeeling 
of  masters  ; — who  overload,  almost  starve,  and  cruelly  beat 
them,  as  though  they  deemed  it  a  merit  to  inflict,  with  the 
rigorous  cruelty  of  despotic  power,  the  full  force  of  their 
inhumanity  upon  these,  their  friendless  and  enduring  slaves. 

It  has  been  truly  said  that  the  Ass  would  be  deemed  one 
of  the  most  useful  and  beautiful  of  domestic  animals  we 
have,  wer-  the  Horse  not  in  existence.  Yet,  holding  the 
second  rank,  he  is  degraded  by  comparison  with  the  first ; 
and  hence  the  contempt  with  which  the  Ass  is  considered. 


9t  THE     ASS. 

because  he  is  inferior  to  the  Horse.  Let  if,  however,  te 
remembered  that,  had  the  same  art  been  bestowed  upon  the 
former  as  upon  the  latter  of  these  useful  creatures,  although 
it  would  not  have  given  him  the  swiftness  and  grace  of  the 
Horse,  it  would  have  rendered  him  a  far  superior  animal  to 
that  which  we  now  find  him. 

H'lmble  in  his  appetite,  he  is  content  with  a  moderate 
portion  of  food,  and  that  portion  of  the  coarsest  kind,  which 
the  Horse  would  reject.  He  prefers  th*^  clearest  water,  of 
which  he  drinks  sparingly.  He  likes  to  roll  on  the  grass, 
or  in  the  road  where  it  is  dry ;  but  he  will  avoid,  where  he 
can,  wetting  even  his  legs.  His  skin  is  hard  and  dry,  owing 
to  which  cause  he  is  less  troubled  with  vermin  'han  other 
hairy  animals  ;  but  his  voice  is  particularly  harsh  when  he 
brays.  His  sight  is  good,  and  his  sense  of  smelling  and  of 
hearing,  also,  are  acute  ;  and  such  is  the  attachment  of  the 
ntiother  to  her  foal,  that,  as  Buffon,  quoting  Pliny,  says, 
when  it  is  taken  from  her,  she  will  pass  through  fire  to  re- 
cover it.  The  Ass  lives  as  long  as  the  Horse,  from  about 
twenty  to  thirty  years ;  and,  where  he  is  kindly  treated, 
sometimes  to  a  still  greater  age.  The  skin  of  the  Ass  ia 
used  for  many  purposes. 

The  Wild  Ass  is  to  be  found  in  plentiful  herds  in  Arabia, 
Numidia,  the  Archipelago,  and  South  Africa ;  ar  ^  of  these 
some  are  most  beautiful  in  form,  and  swifter  than  the 
fleetest  horse.  By  the  Persians,  &c.,  their  flesh  is  prized 
as  a  delicacy ;  but  the  untameable  disposition,  however,  of 


THE     ASS.  J0e 

these  animals,  seems  fully  borne  out  by  many  passages  in 
Holy  Writ: — "A  Wild  Ass  used  to  the  wilderness,  that 
sijuffeth  up  the  wind  at  her  pleasure."*  "  Who  hath  sent 
out  the  Wild  Ass  free  1  or  who  hath  loosed  the  bands  of 
the  Wild  Ass?  He  scorneth  the  multitude  of  the  city, 
neither  regardeth  he  the  cry  of  the  driver.  The  range  of 
the  mountains  is  his  pasture,  and  he  searcheth  after  every 
green  thing."f 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

The  Ass,  when  young,  is  vivacious  and  full  of  play;  it 
becomes  attached  even  to  an  unkind  master,  but,  of  course, 
still  more  so  to  any  one  by  whom  it  is  kindly  treated.  We 
know  a  gentleman  who  had  a  pet  Ass,  and  who  assured  us 
it  would  always  attend  the  dairy-maid  to  milk  the  cows 
(one  of  which  we  shall  have  occasion  particularly  to  notice 
hereafter),  placing  its  head  under  her  arm ;  and,  if  any 
one  offered  to  interrupt  them  on  their  way,  Miss  Jenny 
would  give  him  a  playful,  but  somewhat  unceremonious 
bite.  The  next  morning  we  went  to  see  the  cows  milked ; 
and,  sure  enough,  saw  Jenny  canter  after  the  milk-maid, 
and  thrust  her  head  under  the  girl's  arm,  who,  putting  it 
agamst  her  hip,  formed  a  resting-place  for  the  creature's 
jaws.  As  they  thus  walked  along  the  meadow,  we  offered 
to  pat  Jenny  on  the    head ;    but,  snatching  it  aside,  sho 

•  Jeremiali,  ii.  24.  t  Job,  xxxix.  5-7-8 


54  THE      A  8  S. 

made  a  snap  at  the  proffered  hand,  which  was  nastrfi 
withdrawn,  when  the  animal  directly  assumed  its  formef 
position. 

At  Fakenham,  many  years  ago,  an  old  dame  was 
frightened  almost  out  of  her  wits  by  a  young  Ass  which 
had  lost  itself,  and  trotted  after  her  across  a  foot-path  field, 
in  the  hope  of  finding  a  protector.  It  was  night;  and  the 
good  woman,  alarmed  at  hearing  something  follow  her, 
without  allowing  herself  to  think  what  it  might  be,  thought 
only  that  it  must  be  something  very  terrible.  She  frequent- 
ly stopped  to  listen  to  the  footsteps  she  heard,  which  were 
i  pf caching  nearer  towards  her;  but  when  she  halted,  the 
little  wanderer  stood  still  also;  and  the  instant  she  moved, 
again  it  followed  her — pat,  pat,  until  she  reached  her  own 
cottage,  where  she  swooned  from  fear.  The  cause  of  her 
alarm  was,  however,  soon  discovered,  and  afterwards  be- 
came a  favourite  domestic  of  Ihe  family.  This  fact  has 
formed  the  subject  of  one  of  Bloomfield's  Poems,  entitled 
the  "  Fakenham  Ghost."  ' 

We  once  saw  an  Ass  that  carried  vegetables  about  the 
streets,  which  would  follow  its  master  like  a  dog ;  and,  when 
relieved  of  its  accustomed  burden,  and  at  perfect  liberty,  it 
used  frequently  to  do  so.  We  have  seen  it  strive  to  enter 
a  house  after  him  ;  nor  would  it  move  from  the  door  until 
he  came  out.  On  questioning  the  man,  he  said,  that  when 
the  Ass  was  feeding  on  the  common,  "  it  would  smell  him 
out"  if  he  were  near  at  hand,  and  would  gallop  after  him 
immediately,  "  for  he  always  treated  him  well  ** 


THE     OX.         _  55 

V. ^Mr- 
Bos— THE  OX.*  l-^fl'*'^!     • 

The  Ox  has  undoubtedly  become  the  most  useful  of  all 
domestic  animals,  inasmuch  as  any  other  could  be  bette 
spared.  The  horse,  independent  of  his  usefulness,  contri 
butes  to  the  pleasures  of  the  rich  ;  but  the  cow  is  in  herself 
the  poor  man's  treasure.  Her  milk  affords  the  most  whole- 
some nourishment,  of  which  butter  and  cheese  are  made; 
her  calves  supply  us  with  veal  when  they  are  killed  young 
and  with  the  finest  beef  when  they  are  bred  up  to  maturity 
The  horns  are  manufactured  into  various  utensils  and 
ornaments,  such  as  drinking-cups,  combs,  knife-handles,  &c., 
and  her  hide  supplies  us  with  leather;  nor  can  we  omit 
here  to  notice,  that  this  excellent  creature  yields  the  matter 
with  which  infants  are  inoculated,  and  by  which  providential 
discovery  (made  by  the  late  Dr.  Jenner),  the  dreadful  ra- 
vages of  the  small-pox  have  been  eflectually  checked. 

The  hoofs  of  all  animals  of  the  Ox  kind  are  cloven,  or 
divided  mto  two  parts,  instead  of  being  solid  like  those  of 
the  horse.  Their  horns  are  hollow,  and  they  never  shed 
them,  as  stags  do  ;  and  another  very  remarkable  peculiarity 
is,  that  they  ruminate,  or  chew  the  cud. 

The  Bull  is  a  fierce  and  haughty-looking  animal,  verj 
muscular,  with  a  short  thick  neck  and  large  dew-lap ;  and 
never  ought  to  be  placed  in  a  field  through  which  there  i"?  a 

•  The  term  0*  ie  applied  to  the  species  generally.— Burrow 


56  THK    ox. 

public  foot-path,  since  he  is  often  capricious,  and  will  thef 
attack  any  person  whom  he  may  happen  to  see.  He  pos« 
sesses  great  strength,  and  when  enraged  is  uncontrollable, 
bellowing  and  tearing  up  the  ground.  The  larger  breeds 
ol  English  horned  cattle  stand  nearly  as  high  as  an  ordinary 
horse,  but  are  much  stouter  made,  and  are  used  for  draught, 
as  they  are  patient  and  strong. 

The  Ox  ruminates,  or  chews  the  cud,  as  already  observed ; 
and  perhaps  some  of  our  young  readers  have  often  been 
surprised  to  see  a  creature  chewing  when  it  appeared  to 
have  nothing  to  eat.  But  they  are  to  understand,  that 
every  animal  which  does  so  has  four  stomachs,  of  which 
they  fill  the  largest  with  the  herbage  they  crop ;  and  w  hen 
they  have  done  this,  you  may  see  them,  in  the  richest  pas- 
ture, lie  quietly  down  to  chew  the  cud,  by  which  means 
they  are  enabled  to  pass  their  food  from  one  stomach  to 
another,  until  it  is  properly  digested. 

There  are  also  of  the  Cow  tribe,  the  Urus  (which  runs 
wild  in  the  forests  of  Lithuania,  and  which  varies  the  least, 
although  it  grows  to  a  very  large  size),  the  Buffalo,  the 
Zebu  of  India,  and  the  Bison  of  North  America.  The 
three  latter  have  all  humps  upon  their  shoulders ;  but  of 
these  the  Buffalo  and  Zebu,  althougli  inhabitants  of  the 
forest,  are  tameable,  and  are  used  both  for  draught  and 
carrj  ing  burdens.  The  Zebu  is  not  so  large  as  the  ordinary 
Cow ;  and,  according  to  Goldsmith,  partakes  of  some  of 
ibe  a' tributes  of  the  hog.     There  are,  however,  two  kinds 


THE     ox.  57 

of  this  animal,  one  of  which  is  much  smaller  than  the 
other.  The  Buffalo  is  about  the  size  of  the  Ox,  but  of 
more  clumsy  appearance,  and  has  remarkably  long  horns, 
which  sometimes  form  a  wide  circle,  while  others  stand 
almost  erect.  We  have  seen  a  pair  of  these  animals 
which  were  used  in  drawing  a  hearse  in  India :  they  were 
two  of  the  largest  'hat  we  ever  saw,  and  were  perfectly 
white.  In  a  wild  sfate  the  Buffalo  is  a  most  ferocious 
enemy  to  contend  with  ;  when  once  excited  he  can  run 
fast,  and  is  a  good  swimmer. 

Of  the  Bison,  another  species  of  the  same  family,  we 
shall  speak  hereafter,  in  a  distinct  notice  of  that  animal. 

ILLUSTRATIVE     ANECDOTES. 

Of  all  the  brutal  exhibitions  permitted  to  the  thoughtless 
and  the  cruel,  that  of  torturing  dumb  animals  is  the  most 
demoralizing  and  disgraceful.  We  were  once  passing  a 
rocky  eminence  where  an  assemblage  of  idle  people  had 
met  for  the  purpose  of  baiting  a  Bull.  The  poor  creature 
was  tied  to  a  stake,  and  appeared  to  be  perfectly  tame  and 
quiet  ;  when,  just  as  they  were  about  to  set  a  dog  to  worry 
him,  his  master,  p.-obably  to  cause  excitation,  struck  him 
with  a  stick.  The  animal  had,  until  that  instant,  stood 
passively  by  his  side ;  but  then,  regardless  of  the  dog,  he 
turned  to  the  man,  whom  he  caught  upon  his  horns,  and 
tossed  him  several  yards  into  the  air.  He  fell  heavily  upon 
4 


B8  THE    OX. 

the  ground,  and  looked  the  picture  of  death ;  but,  wonder 
ful  to  say,  he  had  received  no  further  injury  than  a  fe^ 
bruises. 

We  can  scarcely  imagine  that  the  calf  of  a  Buffalo  pos- 
sesses more  sagacity  than  the  calf  of  one  of  our  own  Cows  ; 
but  in  the  Island  of  Java,  we  have  seen  a  native  followed, 
in  the  cool  of  the  evening,  by  a  drove  of  tame  Buffalo 
calves,  which  we  did  not  think  to  be  more  than  six  weeks 
or  two  months  old,  into  a  fresh  stream,  and  in  which  they, 
each  striving  to  be  foremost,  bowed  their  heads  to  him,  most 
significantly,  that  he  might  throw  the  water  over  and  rub 
them. 

The  metijod  of  driving  some  of  their  draught  Buffaloes 
at  Madras,  appeared  odd  to  Europeans  ;  the  Gentoo  who 
directed  them,  instead  of  walking  by  their  sides,  would 
place  himself  between  one  of  h/S  beasts  and  the  pole  which 
separated  them,  as  though  an  English  carter  were  to  place 
himself  between  one  of  his  oxen  and  the  pole  of  his  wagon. 

The  tame  Buffaloes  which  are  yoked  to  carts  in  India, 
frequently  have  a  ring,  or  cord,  run  through  their  noses,  in 
the  same  way  as  the  Brahmin  Bulls  in  the  Zoological  Gar- 
dens, and  appear  to  be  Aery  docile.  We  had  a  score  of 
wild  ones  brought  on  board  a  ship  we  were  in,  as  food  for 
the  sailors;  but  they  became  tame  enough  from  the  time 
they  felt  themr^lves  restrained,  and  grew  very  thin.  7he 
Buffaloes  used  in  Italy,  mingle  with  other  cattle,  and  often 
lose  the  hump  on  their  shoulders  altogether. 


THESHEEF.  69 


Ovis— THE  SHEEP. 

The  external  appearance  of  the  Sheep,  like  that  of  other 
common  animals,  is  too  well  known  to  require  a  descrip- 
tion. He  is  one  of  the  most  useful  serv&nts  of  man,  sup- 
plying him  with  nutritious  food  and  warm  clothing  ;  and  is 
a  domestic  inhabitant  almost  everywhere. 

The  Sheep,  and  its  kind,  chew  the  cud,  and  those  of 
Africa  have  such  an  immense  lump  of  fat  growing  on  their 
tails,  that  a  board  with  wheels  is  sometimes  made  for  it  to 
rest  upon  ;  they  all  have  cloven  feet. 

The  finest  wool  is  that  which  is  obtained  from  the  Span- 
ish  Sheep ;  since,  although  the  breeds  have  been  greatly 
improved  in  England,  the  wool  is  not  so  fine  as  that  of  the 
Merino  kind. 

Although  the  male  will  sometimes  act  upon  the  defensive 
when  attacked,  and,  perhaps,  may  occasionally  display  a 
petulance  of  temper  towards  other  objects,  still,  of  all  quad- 
rupeds the  Sheep  has  the  least  resource  in  himself  from  in 
stinct.  The  noise  of  a  child  will  scare  a  whole  flock,  which 
would  offer  no  resistance  to  any  hostility  he  might  evince , 
and  when  alarmed  by  an  imaginary  danger,  they  display 
no  instinctive  caution  in  their  efforts  to  avoid  it,  while  all 
their  movements  a~e  regulated  by  the  Shepherd  and  hia 
Dog.     The  age  of  the  Sheep  is  about  ten  years. 

It  is,  however,  a  gross  error  of  naturalists  who  suppose, 


60  THE     SHEEP. 

from  the  timidity  of  the  Sheep,  that  he  is  insensible  to  kind- 
ness, or,  "  rather  formed  for  slavery  than  friendship."  The 
same  kind  of  language  is  applied  by  every  tyrant  to  the 
slave  he  has  made  ;  and  we  must  take  leave  to  deny  the 
assertion  of  Goldsmith,  that  the  pet  Lamb  "  shows  itself  in 
every  way  unworthy  of  being  singled  out  from  the  rest  of 
ihe  flock." ,  Art  has  reduced  the  Sheep  from  his  natural 
state,  to  an  entire  dependence  on  man  ;  and  the  same  wri- 
ter admits,  as  the  "  marks  of  human  transformation  are 
more  numerous,  the  animal  becomes  more  helpless  and  stu- 
pid." 

The  strongest  instance  of  attachment  we  ever  knew  of  in 
a  Sheep,  or  rather  Lamb,  was  in  one  of  several  which  we 
bred  by  hand.  They  were  all  partial  to  those  whom  they 
were  accustomed  to  see ;  would  follow  them  anywhere,  play 
with  the  children,  and  stand  bleating  at  the  door  when  they 
were  denied  admittance.  One  of  these  pets  had  followed 
two  boys  of  the  family  who  tried  to  drive  it  back  in  vain  ; 
it  watched  their  motions,  and  still  followed  them,  bleating, 
at  a  distance.  The  lads  had  to  cross  a  stream  to  get  into 
a  meadow,  which  they  could  only  accomplish  by  assisting 
each  other  over  some  stakes  or  piles.  No  sooner,  however, 
had  they  crossed  the  stream,  than  the  Lamb  galloped  to 
the  \\ater's  edge,  bleating  most  piteously ;  and.  despite  of 
the  threatening  gestures  ,^f  the  boys  on  the  other  side,  plung 
ed  in  after  them.  With  much  difficulty  they  succeeded  in 
getting  hei  out ;  but  they  were  obliged  to  return  and  allow 
her  to  follow  them  home. 


THE    GOAT.  61 


HiBCTs— THE  GOAT. 


The  Goat  is  r.  vivacious  and  agile  animal,  handsome  m 
form,  with  horns  and  a  flowing  beard  ;  of  the  size  of  the 
sheep,  but  less  bulky ;  ardent,  vigorous,  and  of  a  capricious 
temper.  He  is  easily  attached  to  man,  but  he  is  fond  of 
ehoosing  his  own  food ;  he  prefers  the  barren  heath  and 
cragged  eminence  to  the  richest  lowland  pasture  ;  and  as  his 
hoof  is  hollow,  with  a  sharp  edge,  he  is  enabled  to  climb 
the  tops  of  rocks  and  precipices,  where,  in  conscious  securi- 
ty, he  will  stand  upon  the  very  brink  of  destruction. 

Although  not  so  much  prized  as  the  sheep,  he  is  a  most 
useful  animal,  and  in  many  countries  Goats  are  tended  in 
flocks ;  since,  though  the  expense  of  keeping  them  is  very 
small,  their  flesh  is  considered  excellent  by  those  who  breed 
them:  their  milk  is  nourishing,  of  which  butter  and  cheese 
are  made  ;  besides  which  it  is  used  medicinally  ;  and  their 
fat,  hides,  and  hair,  are  valuable  articles  of  commerce. 

Although  of  the  Sheep  kind,  the  Goat  is  much  more  sa- 
gacious ;  he  sees  a  threatened  danger  and  avoids  it,  or  de- 
fends himself  to  the  utmost  of  his  power. 

Young  kids  are  pretty  playful  creatures,  and  become  na- 
turally fond  of  man;  in  .proof  of  which,  Buffbn  relates  the 
followmg  anecdote.  In  1698,  an  English  vessel  touching 
a*.  Bonavista  (one  of  the  Cape  de  Verd  Islands),  two  Ne- 
groes oflTered  the  Captain  as  many  Goats  as  he  chose  to 


62  TH£     HOU. 

carrj'  away.  On  his  expressing  surprise  at  this,  they  told 
him  there  were  (then)  only  twelve  people  on  the  Island, 
and  that  the  Goats  were  so  numerous,  and  so  troublesome, 
there  was  no  such  thing  as  keeping  them  from  following  *.he 
inhabitants  whithersoever  they  went.  It  is  of  Goat-skin 
that  Morocco  leather  is  manufactured. 

Of  Goats  there  are  many  varieties,  among  which  is  that 
of  Angora  (a  town  of  Natolia,  in  Asiatic  Turkey),  which 
is  beautifully  white ;  the  Moufflon,  or  wild  Ram  of  Tartary  ; 
the  long-horned  Ibex  ;  the  bounding  elegant  Chamois  of  the 
A.lps,  &c. 


PoRcus— THE  HOG. 

Although  of  a  distinct  race,  the  Hog  is  said  to  form 
the  link  between  the  animals  that  live  upon  flesh,  and  those 
which  are  sustained  by  the  fruits  of  the  earth  only ;  living 
upon  animal  or  vegetable  food,  indifferently,  as  either  may 
come  in  his  way. 

The  Hog  varies  in  size  according  to  his  food  and  the 
climate  in  which  he  is  bred ;  and  although  the  wild  Boar 
of  the  forests  is,  perhaps,  smaller  than  some  of  his  kind 
which  are  reared  by  art,  yet  he  is  the  original  stock  from 
which  our  domestic  breed  has  proceeded. 

The  wild  Hog,  though  fierce  when  attacked  by  the  dogs 


t 


THESTAG.  68 

of  the  hunter,  is  nevertheless  disposed  to  live  quietly  and 
luzily,  if  allowed  to  do  so ;  nor  will  he  even  seek  to  attack 
another  beast  as  his  prey,  but  content  himself  with  rcKjts 
and  herbage,  and  such  bodies  of  animals  as  he  may  find 
dying  and  unable  to  offer  resistance ;  or  he  will  be  satisfied 
v\ilh  any  de<.d  carcass; — however  long  it  may  have  lain, 
he  cares  not,  as  he  is  not  so  particular  in  the  quality  as  in 
the  quantity  of  his  food,  preferring  the  rankest  carrion  to 
the  trouble  of  seeking  his  prey  alive. 

The  sympathy  of  the  Hog  for  those  of  his  kind  may  bo 
every  day  witnessed  in  his  responsive  gruntings,  and  the 
anxiety  he  shows  at  their  distress.  We  once  saw  an  instance 
of  this,  where  a  Hog  had  been  mortally  injured  and  lay 
gasping  for  breath,  while  its  companion  ran  round  it  in  the 
greatest  anxiety,  squeaking  aloud  as  though  itself  had  been 
hurt;  and  as  the  voice  of  its  brother  and  fellow-inhabitant 
of  the  same  sty,  ceased,  the  creature  threw  itself  upon  its 
dead  friend,  and  was  obliged  to  be  driven  off. 


Cervus— THE  STAG. 

AxtMALS  of  the  Ueer  kind  are  chiefly  distinguished  by 
large  branching  horns  which,  unlike  those  of  the  Cow  or 
Sheep,  are  not  hollow,  but  solid,  which  they  shed  every 
Year;  Iheir  feet  are  cloven,  and  they  chew  tJjo  cud. 


'M  THESTAG. 

The  Stag  is  a  graceful  and  elegant-looking  cieature,  ol 
about  the  size  of  a  full-grown  Ass ;  with  a  beautiful  neck^ 
soft  and  sparkling  eyes,  and  large,  round  horns,  from 
which,  after  he  is  two  years  old,  smaller  ones  sprout  and 
are  called  antlers,  increasing  in  number  every  year  for 
many  successive  years,  and  by  which  his  age  is  estimated. 
His  strength  and  speed  are  great ;  he  feeds  with  the  herd, 
and  lives  to  about  forty  years.  He  is,  at  six  years  old, 
called  a  Hart ;  the  female,  which  has  no  horns,  is  called  a 
Hind  ;  and  the  young  one  a  Calf.  His  appetite  is  delicate, 
and  he  is  fond  of  bathing  in  a  cool  stream. 

The  Stag,  in  almost  all  ages  and  nations,  has  been  a 
general  object  of  chase.  In  the  time  of  the  Saxons,  in 
England,  the  pursuit  was  an  exclusive  privilege  of  royalty, 
and  it  was  afterwards  so  restricted  by  vigorous  laws  in  the 
time  of  the  Norman  Kings  ;  but  the  right  was  soon  ex- 
tended to  the  Barons,  to  the  great  prejudice  of  agriculture 
and  property  in  general. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

Although  the  Stag  is  generally  timid,  and  more  par- 
ticularly the  female,  yet,  when  she  has  young,  she  wilj 
endeavour  to  defend  them  by  force  from  all  weaker  ene- 
mies. When  pursued  by  the  hunter,  she  misleads  him  from 
the  retreat  she  has  chosen  for  them  ;  and  if  she  chance  to 
escape,  she  will   return   to   them    with   caution.     She  if 


THESTAG.  65 

compelled  to  hide  her  young  ones  even  from  the  Stag  him- 
■elf,  wno  would  otherwise  destroy  them  with  his  honis. 

The  Stag,  when  pursued,  tries  by  every  art  to  mislead 
his  enemies  ;  as  he  becomas  exhausted  with  running,  he 
seeks  the  herd  and  endeavours  to  mingle  with  it  in  the  hope 
of  an  escape, — but  in  vain  ;  his  unfeeling  companions  frus- 
trate all  his  attempts  to  join  them  ;  they  now  shun  him  in  his 
distress,  and  will  even  turn  upon  and  drive  him  from  among 
them  if  he  persevere.  Thus  compelled  again  to  fly,  he 
takes  to  a  high-road,  that  the  Dogs  may  not  be  able  to 
scent  his  footsteps  (as  in  the  grass),  but  growing  still  weak- 
er, his  mouth  becomes  parched,  his  tongue  hangs  out,  and 
the  tears  actually  run  down  his  checks,  as  though  he  felt 
that  there  was  no  hope  for  him  of  escaping  destruction ;  as 
a  last  resource,  he  plunges  into  the  first  stream  he  can  find  ; 
but  still  pursued,  he  makes  the  only  despairing  effort  in  his 
power,  and  turns  upon  his  pursuers,  whom  he  attacks  with 
both  horn  and  hoof  (should  his  horns  have  been  left  to 
him),  and  he  sometimes  strikes  those  within  reach  of  them, 
dead  at  his  feet ;  but  he  is  soon  surrounded  by  the  whole 
pack,  when  the  huntsmen  wind  what  they  call  a  treble  mort 
on  their  horns,  which,  though  musical  to  themselves,  is  the 
death-knell  of  the  poor  Stag. 

We  have  seen  the  huntsmen  toil  a  Deer,  or  catch  him, 
preparatory  to  the  day  appointed  to  turn  him  out  for  tho 
amusement  of  the  gentry.     He  was  chased  by  a  lew  well 
trained  Dogs  from  the  h°ird,  which,  as  usual,  refused  to 


W  THE     STAG. 

acknowledge  him ;  but  seeing  so  {ew  enemies,  he  soon 
plunged  into  the  water,  where,  without  expressing  alarm,  he 
deliberately  stared  at  them  ;  the  Dogs,  which  were  restram- 
ed  by  long  cords,  not  being  permitted  to  attack  him  in  the 
pond ;  and  as  they  approached  him  he  moved  towards  the 
bank,  when  a  rope  was  thrown  across  his  horns,  which, 
after  he  was  drawn  out,  were  sawed  off,  and  he  was  carried 
from  the  field  in  a  care  van. 

The  Fallow  Deer  has  pal  mated,  or  flat  horns  ;  but 
with  this  exception  he  resembles  the  Stag  more  than  all 
others  of  their  kind,  although  smaller  ;  but  between  which 
there  appears  to  exist  a  strong  animosity,  frequent  battles 
for  pasturage  occurring  between  them,  nor  will  they  ever 
herd  together.  The  Fallow  Deer  is  a  kind  of  Domestic 
ranger  of  the  Parks  ;  the  male  is  called  a  Buck,  the  female 
a  Doe,  and  the  young  one  a  Fawn. 

The  Roebuck  is  about  two  feet  high,  and  the  smallest 
of  the  Deer  class  known  to  our  climate.  It  does  not  asso- 
ciate in  herds;  the  male,  female,  and  their  young  ones 
feeding  and  living  in  harmony  together  in  distinct  families ; 
the  two  former  always  remaining  attached  to  each  other. 

The  flesh  of  the  Deer  is  called  venison,  and  is  es'eenrjed 
a  delicacy;  the  horns  and  skins  are  articles  of  manu- 
facture. Of  the  varieties  of  this  kind  we  shall  particular- 
ize a  few  others. 


THE     MOOSE,     OR     ELK.  6T 


THE  MOOSE,  OR  ELK. 


This  is  the  largest  of  the  Deer  tribe,  varying  in  size, 
however,  according  to  the  climate  in  which  he  is  produced ; 
since  he  is  not  only  to  be  found  in  Germany  and  Russia  in 
Europe,  but  also  in  the  high  latitudes  of  North  America 
and  Siberia — in  the  latter  place  he  attains  to  his  extreme 
growth. 

In  America,  &c.,  he  is  called  the  Moose  Deer  ;  in  Europe 
the  Elk.  His  usual  height  and  bulk  are  equal  to  those  of 
an  ordinary  horse ;  varying,  however,  to  the  stupendous 
magnitude  of  double  that  size ;  or,  as  we  are  assured  by 
some  travellers,  to  the  height  of  ten  or  twelve  feet.  The 
colour  of  the  smaller  kind  is  gray,  and  of  the  latter  black ; 
their  horns  are  flat  and  broad  like  those  of  the  Fallow  Deer, 
and  are  sometimes  of  an  enormous  size.  Goldsmith  says 
he  saw  some  which  had  been  dug  up  in  Ireland  that 
measured  "  ten  feet  nine  inches  from  one  tip  to  the  other." 
The  animal  must  have  been  of  a  gigantic  form  to  which 
such  horns  belonged.  Their  tails  are  very  short,  and  their 
nostrils  remarkably  wide. 

The  Moose  feeds  upon  the  tops  of  large  plants  and  leaves 
in  the  summer ;  and  in  the  winter  when  the  ground  is  co- 
vered with  snow,  he  contents  himself  with  the  bark  of  trees ; 
since  it  is  necessity  alone  which  can  induce  him  to  bring 
his  mouth  to  the  ground,  which  must  be  a  work  of  pain  to 
him    wing  to  the  great  length  of  his  limbs  and  the  extreme 


«t 


THE     WAPITI. 


shortness  of  his  neck.  He  is  a  good  swimmer,  and  delighta 
in  bathing ;  and  in  the  hot  weather  he  will  sometimes  re- 
main in  marshes  to  avoid  the  mosquitoes,  a«  long  as  he  can 
get  any  kind  of  herbage  in  that  situation.  Dr.  Richardson 
says  that  "  he  is  the  most  shy  and  wary  of  all  the  Deer 
species ;"  and  that  it  selects  a  place  of  repose  where  "  it 
can  hear  the  least  noise  made  by  any  one  that  attempts  to 
track  it." 

It  is  in  the  winter  season  that  the  hunter  most  prides 
himself  in  his  skill  in  the  chase  ;  to  which,  and  his  perseve- 
rance, the  Moose  falls  a  prey,  when  the  sun  melts  the  snow 
by  day,  which  freezes  again  at  night.  The  Indians  pursue 
the  flying  creature,  which,  sinking  beneath  the  surface  of 
the  snow,  or  thin  ice,  is  thus  impeded  in  his  efforts  to  escape, 
while  his  immense  horns  come  in  contact  with  the  branches 
of  trees,  which  are,  however,  snapped  off  as  he  proceeds. 
But  though  the  chase  last  for  a  whole  day,  and  sometimes 
for  three  or  four,  the  persevering  Indians  at  length  come 
within  reach  of  him  with  their  lances ;  when  he  is  sure  to 
fall,  and  thus  becomes  a  valuable  prize  to  his  captors,  who 
eat  his  flesh,  and  use  his  hide  and  horns  for  various  useful 
purposes. 

THE  WAPITI. 

This  animal  is  often,  although  very  erroneously  con. 
founded  with  the  Moose ;  but  they  are  of  distinct  genera, 
nor  do  they  ever  mingle  together. 


THE     REIN-DEER.  99 

The  Wapiti,  oi'  Canadian  Stag,  is  a  native  of  Canada ; 
and,  in  herds  of  six  or  seven.  Dr.  Richardson  tells  us  "  they 
feed  on  grass,  on  the  young  shoots  of  willows  and  poplars, 
and  are  very  fond  of  the  hips  of  the  rosa  blanda,  which 
forms  much  of  the  underwood  of  the  districts  which  they 
frequent."  The  height  of  the  Wapiti  is  about  from  four 
and  a  half  to  five  feet  at  the  shoulders,  being  of  the  size  of 
an  ordinary  horse,  although  somewhat  less  bulky  ;  his  legs, 
however,  are  more  slender,  his  whole  frame  showing  him 
to  possess  great  powers  of  strength  and  swiftness  ;  his  horns 
are  of  an  immense  size  and  weight,  measuring  from  three 
to  four  feet  in  length  :  he  is  of  a  dark  fawn  colour,  with  a 
large  round  white  mark  on  the  hinder  part.  His  flesh  is 
said  to  be  somewhat  hard,  and  not  delicate  eating;  but  his 
skin  makes  excellent  leather  of  great  pliancy.  He  is  gentle 
and  very  docile ;  and  is  by  the  Indians  used  as  a  beast  of 
burden.  ^uj. 

Some  years  ago  we  saw  two  of  these  ci'eatures  exhibited, 
one  of  which  was  harnessed  to  a  chaise,  and  appeared  to 
be  as  obedient  to  the  rein  as  a  horse  ;  the  other  was  saddled 
for  ladies  to  ride  upon,  and  was,  as  might  be  imagined,  as 
gentle  and  obedient  as  his  companion. 

THE  EEIN-DEER. 

Op  all  Quadrupeds,  none  could  be  found  to  prove  so  us» 
fill   as   the   Rein-deer   to   the   Laplander.      This   anima> 


7|l  THE     MUSK-DEER. 

appears  to  have  been  sent  by  Providence  for  his  pecu^iat 
service,  and  supplies  him  with  food,  milk  (of  which  butter 
and  cheese  are  made),  bedding,  and  clothes.  Their  sinewa 
and  tendons  yield  him  thread  and  strings  for  his  bow;  and 
of  their  bones,  hoofs,  and  horns,  utensils,  glue,  and  other 
useful  things  are  manufactured.  Such  is  the  utility  of  tljis 
patient  creature,  which  thrives  only  in  the  icy  regions  of 
the  North  ;  and  where,  but  for  his  aid,  his  master  probably 
could  not  exist.  In  sledges  he  conveys  the  hardy  Lap- 
lander over  the  dreary  waste,  covered  with  snow,  at  the  rate 
of  one  hundred  miles  in  a  day ;  and  by  his  acute  smell  and 
sagacity,  knows  the  ( curse  he  is  to  pursue.  Thus  is  he 
applied  to  the  services  of  our  three  most  useful  animals, 
the  horse,  the  cow,  and  the  sheep ;  and  is,  in  fact,  the  only 
wealth  of  his  master. 

The  rich  Laplander  sometimes  possesses  a  ho'^d  of  two 
thousand  of  these  valuable  croatures,  ^nd  the  poorest  of 
them  generally  has  a  considerable  number;  all  of  which, 
in  whatsoever  way  they  may  be  employed,  follow  the  ex 
ample  of  an  old  male  who  leads  them,  and  which  the 
herdsman  directs  with  a  whistle :  this  is  offered  as  a 
striking  proof  of  their  sagacity.  Indeed,  even  in  a  wild 
state,  they  follow  a  leader  in  every  emergency. 

The  Musk-Deer  is  about  the  size  of  the  Roebuck,  though 
by  no  means  of  so  graceful  an  appearance.  Its  hair  is 
Vang,  coarse,  and  of  a  brownish  white,  or  iron  gray  colour. 


ANTELOPES.  71 

which  covers  its  very  short  tail.     It  has  no  horns,  erect 
ears,  and  from  its  mouth  two  hooked  tusks  protrude. 

The  Musk-Deer,  properly  so  called,  (for  of  this  genua 
Ihere  are  several  species'),  is  a  native  of  Asia,  chiefly  found 
in  the  mountains  of  Thibet.  Its  most  striking  peculiarity 
is  that  the  male  has  a  small  bag  or  pouch  under  his  belly, 
scarcely  larger  than  a  pigeon's  egg,  which  contains  the 
perfume  called  by  the  animal's  name,  musk,  which  is  not 
only  prized  for  its  odour,  but  is  used  for  medicinal  purposes 
also.  That  which  is  found  upon  the  Musk-Deer  of  Thibet 
is  the  most  highly  valued  for  its  superior  excellence.  * 

ANTELOPES. 

This  is  a  genus  comprising  many  species  of  animals 
between  the  Deer  and  the  Goat  kinds.  They  have  hollow 
horns,  which,  like  the  Goat,  they  never  shed ;  while  in 
their  speed  and  elegance  of  form,  generally,  they  resemble 
the  Deer.  Of  these  there  are  innumerable  varieties,  from 
which  we  select  the  Gazelle  and  the  Spring-bok. 

The  Gazelle  is  a  native  of  both  Asia  and  Africa,  and 
in  size  and  form  resembles  the  Roebuck,  but  exceeds  almost 
all  other  quadrupeds  in  swiftness.  The  speed  of  the  Ante- 
lope is  referred  to  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  wherein  the  (jlai- 
ites  are,  by  similitude,  spoken  of  as  being  "  swift  as  the  An- 
telopes upon  the  mountains ;"  and  of  these  the  Gazelle  is 
not  only  one  of  the  most  elegant  of  the  tribe,  but  has  a  sm- 
gularly  beautiful  eye ;  and  according  to  oriental  taste,  the 


n  AKTELOPES. 

highest  compliment  that  can  be  paid  to  a  lady,  is  to  com- 
pare her  eye  to  that  of  the  Gazelle. 

Neither  its  beauty  nor  its  speed  are,  however,  sufficient  to 
protect  it  from  the  arts  and  destruction  of  man.  The  Ara- 
bians and  Persians,  unable  to  overtake  it  by  :iogs,  train  up 
botli  birds  and  beasts  of  prey  to  assist  them.  The  Chetah, 
a  small  sort  of  Leopard,  is  thus  trained,  and  accompanies 
the  hunter ;  and  when  the  Gazelle  is  shown  him,  he  de- 
scends, creeps  si ily  towards  it  until  he  thinks  it  within  his 
reach,  when  he  springs  upon  his  victim,  and  is  allowed  to 
suck  its  blood.  If  he  happens  to  miss  his  object,  he  does 
not  attempt  pursuit;  but,  like  a  detected  thief,  crouches  into 
his  place  as  though  ashamed  of  his  want  of  skill. 

But  it  is  from  the  Falcon  that  the  beautiful  Gazelle  has 
most  to  dread ;  since  this  bird  of  prey  is  taught,  while 
young,  to  fix  upon  its  throat.  The  oriental  hunters  are  al- 
ways mounted  on  their  fleetest  horses,  and  as  soon  as  they 
observe  the  Gazelle,  they  point  the  Falcon  to  the  prey ;  the 
bird  darts  off  like  an  arrow  shot  from  a  bow,  and,  in  an  in- 
stant, fixes  one  of  its  talons  in  the  cheek  and  the  other  in 
the  throat  of  the  Gazelle ;  nor  ever  quits  its  hold  until  the 
creature  falls.  The  hunters  then  come  up  and  share  the 
spoil  with  the  bird,  which  is  permitted  to  feed  upon  its  blood. 

The  Spring-Bok  is  an  inhabitant  of  Southern  Africa  ;  of 
a  larger  size  than  the  Gazelle,  and  altogether  a  beautiful 
animal.     The  upper  part  of  his  body  is  a  fawn  colour,  with 


ANTELOPRS.  73' 

a  white  stripe  along  his  back ;  the  under  part  is  white  also, 
and  is  divided  from  the  darker  line  of  his  coat  by  a  broad 
band  of  hair  of  a  rich  chesnut  colour,  passing  along  his 
sides. 

He  is  peculiar  in  his  movements,  by  which  he  obtained 
his  name  ; — "  springing,  at  least,  six  feet  at  every  leap  in 
height,"  says  Mr.  Campbell,  "  and  several  yards  in  length. 
However  near  a  person  may  be  to  these  animals,  no  motion 
of  their  legs  can  be  perceived  ;  the  instant  they  touch  the 
ground  after  one  spring,  they  are  again  into  the  air,  which 
makes  their  motion  resemble  fiying."  They  herd  together 
in  immense  flocks  ;  Mr.  Burchell  says  "  they  covered  sev- 
eral parts  of  the  plain"  to  the  number  of  two  thousand. 

Timid  as  they  are  in  their  native  wilds,  when  bountifully 
supplied  with  herbage  and  water,  it  is  far  otherwise  in  a 
season  of  drought ;  when  every  blade  of  grass  is  withered 
by  a  burning  sun — when  no  moistening  drop  of  rain  is 
known  to  fall — when  every  spring  has  failed.  Then  it  is 
that  the  Spring-Boks  descend  upon  the  plantations  of  the 
colonial  farmers  of  the  Cape,  in  mj'riads,  destroying  all  be- 
fore them.  When,  however,  the  rains  visit  their  lonely 
habitation  in  the  desert,  instinct  prompts  them  to  return 

Captain  Stockenstrom  (who  was  the  principal  comnus 
sioner  at  the  Cape)  says,  "  Instances  have  been  known  of 
some  of  these  prodigious  droves  passing  through  flocks  of 
sheep,  and  numbers  of  the  latter  carried  away  by  the  tor- 
rent (of  Spring-Boks)  being  lost  to  the  owners,  and  becorn- 
5 


THE     FOX. 


ing  a  prey  to  the  wild  beasts."  It  is  in  vain  that  thousands 
of  them  are  killed,  others  still  continue  to  destroy,  until 
«•  the  falling  of  the  rains,"  when  they,  at  once,  retire  to  the 
desert. 


VuLPES— THE  FOX. 

The  Fox  is  a  well  known  animal,  and  is  frequently 
hunted  for  the  amusement  of  his  tormentors.  The  three 
commonest  varieties  are  the  Greyhound  Fox ;  the  Mastiff 
Fox;  and  the  Cur  Fox, — the  latter,  about  the  size  of  a  ter- 
rier, but  with  a  bush  tail,  is  the  smallest  of  these,  and  most 
common.  He  is  generally  red ;  but,  in  the  cold  climates 
of  the  north,  Foxes  are  black,  white,  blue,  gray,  &c. 
Everywhere,  however,  the  Fox  is  a  cunning  robber,  prey. 
ing  upon  all  he  can  catch.  ^ 

Although  of  the  Dog-kind,  as  distinguished  by  naturalists, 
between  the  Dog  and  himself  there  appear,  however,  to  be 
no  feelings  of  cordiality.  Wherever  the  former  scents  him, 
his  life  is  in  danger,  and  he  seems  to  know  it ;  since  it  is 
by  night  he  lurks  about  our  hen-roosts,  or  watches  his 
opportunity  to  steal  a  lamb.  If  he  clTance  to  get  among 
the  poultry,  he  will  not  be  satisfied  with  seizing  a  fowl  and 
bearing  it  away,  but  makes  a  general  slaughter ;  retires 
with  such  part  of  his  booty  as  he  can  carry  (which  he  wiU 
hide)}  and  then  reluins  again  and  again  to  bear  off  the  res! 


THE     FOX.  75 

of  his  plunder,  hiding  each  load  in  a  different  place,  until 
day-light  and  the  voices  of  men  or  dogs  render  it  imprudent 
for  him  to  make  another  trip.  He  wiil  afterwards  dig  up 
his  hidden  treasure  as  he  requires  i(. 

When  pressed  by  hunger,  he  will  eat  almost  anything  ; — 
frogs,  mice,  fish,  serpents ;  and  if  even  these  are  not  to  be 
had,  he  will  then  have  recourse  to  fruit  and  vegetables.  He 
is  fond  of  grapes,  and  will  plunder  even  a  bee-hive,  in 
despite  of  the  sting  of  its  inhabitants.  He  will  steal  birds 
out  of  snares  in  which  they  have  been  caught,  and  never 
fails  to  make  great  havoc  among  the  game;  stealing  young 
hares,  rabbits,  eggs,  and  partridges  while  hatching; — in 
short,  whatever  comes  in  his  way,  which  art  or  impudence 
can  obtain.  He  relies  upon  his  cunning  when  pursued,  and 
it  is  by  this  he  often  effects  an  escape  when  all  else  would 
fail ;  but,  if  caught,  he  dies  fighting  to  the  last.  He  will 
live  twelve  or  fourteen  years. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

Foxes,  although  generally  pursued  by  dogs,  may  be  bred 
up  to  associate  with  them  upon  terms  of  mutual  friendship. 
Many  years  since,  we  saw  a  tame  Fox  thus  bred  (with  dogs), 
which  appeared  to  be  quite  as  familiar  with  his  master, 
jumping  on  his  knee  and  licking  his  hand. 

In  the  course  of  a  Fox-chase  in  Bedford  (England),  the 
fUi^s  were  sviddenly  at  fault  (that  is,  had  lost  scent  of  the 


f§f  THE     WOLF. 

Fox),  after  a  long  run,  and  just  when  they  were  almost  at 
his  brush.  Every  effort  to  renew  the  chase  appeared  hope- 
less ,'  when  an  intnnate  friend  of  the  writer,  in  crossing  a 
stile,  saw  master  Reynard  upon  the  top  of  a  quickset  hedge, 
through  which  he  had  crept  after  having  leaped  over  a  wide 
gap,  which  had  misled  the  hounds.  An  effort  was  now  made 
again  to  start  him ;  but  he  saw  the  only  chance  of  saviiig 
his  life,  and  cunningly  procwded  .  along  the  top  of  the 
hedge,  from  which  he  soon  plunged  into  the  river,  and  got 
clear  off. 

The  attachment  of  the  female  to  her  young  is  very  great. 
Goldsmith  tell  us  that  a  she-Fox  had  been  unkennelled  (or 
driven  from  her  retreat),  by  the  hounds  of  a  gentleman 
near  Chelmsfora.  It  appeared  that  the  poor  creature  had 
only  one  cub  left ;  and  though  closely  pressed  by  the  dogs, 
her  fears  for  her  own  safety  could  not  induce  her  to  forsake 
it.  She  seized  it  in  her  mouth,  and  thus  carried  it  several 
miles,  the  hounds  in-full  cry  after  her ;  until,  passing  through 
a  farm-yard,  she  was  attacked  by  a  mastiff,  and  forced  to 
drop  the  object  of  her  care,  which  was  picked  up  by  the 
farmer;  and,  after  a  hard  run,  she  escaped. 


Lttpus— THE  WOLF. 

The  Wolf  is.fierce,  of  a  lank  and  rough  appearance,  with 
a  long  bushy  tail  and  long  nose ;  of  a  reddish,  brown,  or 


THE     WOLF.  77 

gray  colour, — in  the  polar  regions,  white, — and  somewhat 
larger  than  the  mastiff ;  but,  though  bearing  a  strong  ex- 
ternal and  still  greater  internal  resemblance  to  the  dog,  no 
two  animals  can  be  more  unlike  in  their  natures,  or  enter- 
tain a  greater  antipathy  to  each  other. 

The  Wolf  is  a  voracious  enemy  and  a  faithless  friend. 
Ball,  after  quoting  the  account  of  F.  Cuvier,  relative  to  the 
strong  attachment  shown  towards  him,  and  others,  by  a 
pet  Wolf,  says,  "  Now,  if  we  feel  that  the  mere  education 
of  a  young  Wolf,  taken  from  its  parents  in  a  wild  state, 
could  so  far  change  its  natural  disposition,  and  make  it  so 
fond,  so  intelligent,  and  so  grateful  as  this,  what  may  we 
not  expect  from  the  successive  transmission  of  improvement 
by  the  culture  and  training  of  a  whole  race  for  ages?" 
Whatever  might  be  expected  from  such  experiments,  we 
much  doubt  that  they  would  have  the  effect  of  reducing  the 
Wolf  to  the  faithful  and  self-denying  state  of  the  dog,  as  is 
implied  by  the  writer  quoted ;  since,  although  for  the  pur- 
pose of  destroying,  he  joins  his  fellows,  who  thus  more 
securely  attack  their  prey  ;  yet,  if  he  find  even  one  of  his 
own  species  either  dead  or  disabled,  such  is  his  insatiable 
nature  that,  in  both  cases,  he  devours  it.  Indeed,  when 
any  of  them  happen  to  be  wounded,  others  will  track  them 
by  their  blood,  and  tear  them  to  pieces. 

The  Wolf  is  common  to  every  quarter  of  the  globe.  H< 
is,  however,  most  numerous  in  the  wilds  of  the  North, 
where  he  will  live  from  sixteen  to  twenty  years.     His  skin 


IB  THE     WOLP. 

IS  sometimes  used   for  clothing,  every  other  part  of  him 
bcmg  offensive  to  man  and  beast. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

Although  the  Wolf  is  not  a  creature  of  which  man  can 
make  a  friend,  we  ought  never  to  forget  that,  in  the  de- 
struction even  of  a  living  pest,  it  is  cruel  to  torture  unneces- 
sarily. As  it  regards  the  Wolf,  man  has  a  much  better 
excuse  for  hunting  it  than  the  many  timid  and  harmless 
animals  which  he  tortures  to  death.  The  Wolf,  however, 
acts  accordingly  as  nature  has  endowed  him  with  instinct, 
appetites,  and  passions.  Dr.  Richardson,  who  accompa- 
nied Captain  Franklin  in  his  Polar  expedition,  was,  in  the 
year  1821,  passing  down  the  Copper-mine  River,  on  th*» 
banks  of  which,  he  states,  were  herds  of  deer  and  musk- 
oxen,  followed  by  bears  and  Wolves,  Of  the  cunning  of 
the  latter  in  insuring  their  prey,  by  forcing  it  over  preci- 
pices,  he  thus  speaks  : — 

"  Whilst  the  deer  are  quietly  grazing,  the  Wolves  assem- 
ble in  great  numbers,  and,  forming  a  crescent,  creep  slowly 
towards  the  herd,  so  as  not  to  alarm  them  much  at  first  j 
but  when  they  perceive  they  have  hemmed  in  the  unsu»' 
pecting  creatures,  and  cut  off  their  retreat  across  the  plain, 
they  move  more  quickly,  and  with  hideous  yells  terrify  their 
prey,  and  force  them  to  flight  by  the  onlj"^  open  way,  which 
is  that  towards  the  precipice,  appearing  to  know  that  wiHin 


THE     WOLF.  7i 

the  herd  is  once  at  full  speed,  it  is  easily  dri\en  over  the 
cliff,  the  rearmost  urging  on  those  that  are  before;  the 
Wolves  then  descend  at  their  leisure,  and  feast  on  the  man- 
gled carcasses/* 

Although  Wolves  appear  to  prefer  human  flesh  to  any 
other,  yet,  when  not  urged  by  excessive  hunger,  they  fear 
wO  attack  man.  The  author  we  have  cited  above,  was  sit- 
ting one  evening  near  the  edge  of  a  precipice  which 
overhangs  the  Copper-mine  River,  upon  which  he  was 
gazing;  he  heard  a  rustling  noise,  and  on  turning  his  head, 
saw  nine  white  Wolves  closing  upon  him,  as  they  are  wont 
to  do  upon  the  deer,  in  the  form  of  a  crescent.  How  the 
Doctor  must  have  felt,  our  young  readers  may  imagine. 
He  had  but  one  chance  of  escape ;  and,  hastily  getting  up, 
he  bravely  proceeded  towards  them,  when  they  gave  way, 
and  he  passed  through  the  opening  in  safety. 

Buffon  tells  us  that  he  procured  a  young  she- Wolf  from 
the  woods  of  about  three  months  old,  which  he  confined 
with  a  puppy  of  the  same  age,  of  the  shepherd's-dog  breed. 
During  the  first  year  they  played  together  familiarly ;  in 
the  second,  the  Wolf  would  not  let  him  come  near  the 
food  given  to  them,  although  there  was  plenty  for  both. 
The  dog  was  the  strongest,  but  he  would  not  resist  his 
companion,  which  svould  now  not  only  cat  until  slio  was 
filled,  but  would  carry  the  rest  away  ;  and,  at  last,  she 
sprang  upon  the  dog,  which,  in  his  own  defence,  turned 
upon  his  intended  murderess,  and  killed  her  outright.     So 


80  THE     HT^NA. 

unnaturally  savage,  however,  had  he  become  by  hifl 
association  with  her,  that  it  became  necessary  to  destioy 
him. 


THE  HY^NA* 


This  is  a  strong,  ferocious  creature,  as  large  as  the 
Wolf;  and  though  classed  by  naturalists  with  the  dog  kind, 
the  Hyfena,  in  his  wild  state,  shows  no  more  affinity  to  the 
disposition  of  the  dog,  than  doos  the  wolf  himself,  which  he 
much  resembles  in  the  savageness  of  his  nature,  possessing, 
however,  far  more  courage.  It  is,  notwithstanding,  assert- 
ed that  when  taken  he  soon  becomes  sensible  of  kindness. 

His  legs  are  longer  than  those  of  the  wolf  (the  hinder 
ones  being  longer  than  the  fore),  and  his  body  shows  much 
strength.  His  back  is  arched,  from  the  centre  of  which 
proceeds  long  bristly  hair.  In  India,  Abyssinia,  and  Sene- 
gal, he  is  of  an  ash  colour,  with  black  stripes,  or  waves, 
down  his  sides  ;  in  Southern  Africa  he  is  of  a  reddish 
brown,  and  spotted.  His  neck  is  thick,  very  short,  and  so 
stiff  that  he  must  turn  his  body  to  look  behind :  his  ears  are 

*  Goldsmith  thinks  it  probable  that,  from  the  similitude  of  this  ar.i- 
mal's  appearance  to  the  hog,  it  obtained  its  name;  "  Huoina  being 
Greek,  and  derived  from  Hus,  a  sow."  The  Latin  appellation  is  Hy- 
mna. 


THEHTJENA.  81 

Straight  and  bare  j  he  carries  his  head  low,  in  m  nich  his 
eyes  are  seen  to  glare  ferociously  ;  and  he  is  generally 
viewed  but  as  a  creature  whose  external  appearance  bears 
evident  proofs  of  the  implacability  of  his  nature ;  nor  is  the 
kast  of  these  the  constant  grin  and  display  of  his  teeth, 
which  accompany  his  restless  movements  in  a  state  of  con- 
finement, where  education  has  not  reclaimed  him. 

The  Hysena  is  not  only  stronger,  but,  as  already  observ- 
ed, he  possesses  none  of  the  cowardly  attributes  of  the  wolf  ; 
on  the  contrary,  he  will  defend  himself  when  attacked  even 
by  the  lion,  will  engage  with  the  panther,  and  is  a  victori- 
ous conquei'or  of  the  ounce.  He  joins  his  species  to  hunt 
in  packs,  like  the  wolf;  but  although  vast  numbers  of  them 
prowl  together,  still  he  is  a  solitary  depredator,  who  makes 
his  den  in  the  cleft  of  a  rock  or  mountain ;  and,  although 
numerous  as  sheep,  where  prey  is  to  be  procured,  they  will 
sally  forth  in  search  of  it  fearless  and  alone.  If  the  Hyaena 
meet  with  nothing  else,  he  will  dig  up  the  dead  bodies  of 
men  or  beasts,  which  he  scents  in  the  open  fields,  both  in 
Asia  and  Africa,  of  which  places  he  is  a  native.  He  has 
been  said  to  be  untameable,  however  young  he  may  be 
caught  or  kindly  treated, — but  this  assertion  facts  have 
clearly  disproved. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

However  rare  or  frequent  the  instances  may  be  of  the 
reduction  of  a  Hyaena  to  anything  like  docility  or  lameness 


83  THE     HYiENA. 

(and  instanrv^s  are  not  so  rare  as  they  are  said  to  be),  etil. 
he  is  by  no  means  naturally  docile,  although  Barrow  saySj 
there  is  a  species  of  them  in  South  Africa  which  are  domes* 
ticatcd  :  and  Cuvier  also  remarks,  that  in  this  state  it  would, 
"  doubtless,  render  to  man  services  of  the  same  kind  and  de- 
gree as  the  canine  species."  The  variety  called  the  Spot- 
ted Hyaena  is  said  to  be  the  least  ferocious.  We  have  seen 
the  keepers  of  these  animals,  while  remarking  upon  the  gen- 
erally received  opinion  upon  this  subject,  prove  that  the  rule 
was  not  without  its  exceptions,  by  familiarly  playing  with 
them,  while  they  laid  themselves  down,  when  bidden,  to  be 
caressed,  of  which  they  appeared  to  be  quite  sensible.  To 
our  inquiries  of  a  keeper,  as  to  the  means  he  had  employed 
to  so  far  subdue  the  native  ferocity  of  one  of  these  creatures, 
he  stated,  that  the  ordinary  means  of  taming  wild  and  sav- 
age quadrupeds  had  beeii  adopted ;  namely,  stinting  them 
in  food,  and  above  all,  breaking  their  rest.  It  is  by  a  per- 
severance in  the  latter  means,  which  completely  wears  out 
the  animal,  and  reduces  it  to  a  state  of  comparative  tame- 
ness.  Buffbn  also  says,  that  in  the  year  1771,  he  saw  a 
Hyaena  "  perfectly  gentle  ;  for  though  the  keeper  made  him 
angry  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  his  mane,  yet  he  seemed 
to  forget  it  in  a  few  moments,  and  suffered  himself  to  be 
played  with  without  any  appearance  of  dislike."  The  same 
author  speaks  of  a  large  Hyaena  which  is  found  in  Mei*oe 
(an  island  of  Ethiopia),  which  will  bear  off  a  man,  and  car 
rj'  him  a  league  without  stopping. 


THK     HYJENA.  83 

"We  once  saw  a  Hyaena  that  was  quite  blind,  and  appeared 
to  be  very  ferocious  in  his  manner.  He  had,  however, 
oeen  thought  otherwise,  and  was  sometimes  trusted  to  run 
loose  upon  the  deck  of' the  vessel  which  brought  him  to 
Europe :  until  one  day,  as  he  was  gnawing  some  bones,  a 
little  black  boy  passed  near  him,  upon  whom  the  savage 
brute  sprang,  instantly  killed,  and  was  about  to  devour; 
but  he  received  some  heavy  blows  uf  an  iron  bar  upon  the 
head,  which  not  only  made  him  quit  his  hold,  but  deprived 
him  of  sight  also,  and  he  was  secured. 

The  Jackal  and  the  Isatis  are  also  genera  of  this 
order. 

The  Jackal  is  about  the  size  of  the  larger  kind  of  fox, 
and  somewhat  resembling  that  animal  in  appearance. 
They  are  found  in  Asia  and  Africa,  and  hunt  in  packs. 
From  being  followed  by  the  lion,  which  seizes  the  prey 
which  he  has  run  down,  he  is  sometimes  called  the  "  Lion's 
Provider."  He  is  a  ferocious  little  beast ;  and,  like  the 
Hyaena,  will  eat  anything  which  has  once  possessed  ani- 
mal life.     He  is,  however,  to  be  tamed,  when  taken  young. 

The  Isatis  is  an  inhabitant  of  the  frozen  regions  of  the 
North,  in  which  alone  he  can  thrive.  He  is  also  much  like 
a  fox,  excepting  his  head,  which  resembles  the  head  of  a 
dog.     His  colour  varies,  being  sometimes  brown,  and  at 


H  THS     LIOK. 

olhers  white ;  and  to  add  to  the  peculiarities  of  this  sp» 
cies,  there  is  a  blue  kind,  which  always  keeps  the  same 
colour. 


Leo— THE  LION. 


Thehe  is  not,  perhaps,  any  well-known  animal  so  much 
misrepresented  as  the  Lion.  His  majestic  appearance, 
great  strength,  and  the  extraordinary  docility  to  which  he 
may  be  reduced  by  the  education,  or  training  of  man,  has 
probably  given  rise  to  the  errors  into  which  those  writers 
have  fallen,  who,  having  had  but  an  imperfect  knowledge 
of  his  habits  in  his  natural  state,  have  not  only  described 
his  courage  as  equal  to  his  powers,  but  have  attributed  to 
him  all  the  generous  attributes  of  the  Dog,  We  shall, 
however,  endeavour  to  show  his  real  disposition  by  our 
illustrative  facts.  The  Lion  is  an  inhabitant  of  the  southern 
parts  of  Asia,  and  roams  at  large  over  the  burning  deserts 
of  Africa,  where  he  attains  to  his  greatest  size,  strength, 
and  boldness.  Wherever  man  has  not  encroached  upon 
his  wide  domain,  the  Lion  prowls,  sole  monarch  of  the  wil- 
derness, from  Abyssinia  to  the  colder  region  of  Mount 
Atlas,  East  and  West,  and  from  Biledulgerid  to  Caffraria, 
North  and  South.  But  the  difference  of  climate  causes  a 
difference  in  his  •apoearance  and  bearing :  the  Lion  of 


THELION.  85 

Mount  Atlas  is  much  smaller  and  far  more  timid  than  that 
which  is  bred  at  a  greater  distance  from  the  neij^hbourhoods 
of  men.  The  former  "  are  to  be  scared  away  with  a 
shout,"  says  BufTon,  "  and  seldom  attack  any  but  the  unre- 
Bisting  flocks  and  herds,  which  even  women  and  children 
are  sufficient  to  protect  against  them."  But  it  is  on  the 
torrid  sands  of  Zaara  where  the  Lion  stalks  in  the  plenitude 
of  his  power ;  and  where  no  rival  depredator  of  the  forest 
can  successfully  resist  his  terrific  sway.  The  terrific  pow- 
ers of  the  unsubdued  Lion  of  the  Desert  can  scarcely  be 
estimated  by  a  survey  of  the  one  bred  in  a  menagerie, 
which  is  but  the  mere  shadow  of  his  great  progenitor. 

The  form  of  this  noble-looking  brute  is  dignified  and 
imposing;  and  at  once  conveys  an  idea  of  his  amazing 
strength.  The  larger  of  the  species  are  from  eight  to  ten 
feet  long  from  the  nose  to  the  insertion  of  the  tail,  and  the 
tail  itself,  (at  the  end  of  which  is  a  tuft  of  hair),  about  four; 
while  the  height  of  such  an  animal  would  be  from  four  to 
five  feet,  or  about  the  size  of  an  Ox,  though  somewhat 
lower  in  stature.  But  he  is  by  no  means  clumsy  in  his 
form  or  movements  ;  on  the  contrary,  he  is  a  perfect  model 
of  strength  and  agility.  His  full  front  is  overhung  with  a 
long  shaggy  mane,  which  descends  from  his  neck  upon  his 
broad  shoulders  and  expanded  chest ;  which,  when  he  is  en^ 
raged,  he  not  only  erects,  but  agitates  by  a  continued 
motion-;  while  the  terrific  fierceness  of  his  eye,  the  move- 
ment  of  the   skin    of    his   face, —  his   tremendous   roar» 


86  THE     LION. 

resembling  a  clap  of  thunder, — and  the  lashing  of  his  tah 
the  force  of  which  would  lay  a  man  prostrate  on  the  earth, 
show  him  to  be  an  enemy  requiring  all  the  skill  and  firm- 
ness  of  man  to  contend  with  and  to  subdue. 

The  hinder  quarters  of  the  Lion  are  not  so  large  as  the 
fore;  but,  like  all  the  cat  tribe,  he  is  thinner  towards  the 
loins;  yet,  as  already  observed,  his  strength  is  prodigious. 
lie  has  no  superfluous  fat  nor  flesh,  but  appears  to  be 
chiefly  formed  of  bone  and  muscle,  and  can,  with  apparent 
ease,  bear  off  a  horse  or  a  buffalo.  His  general  colour  is 
a  tawny  yellow,  but  there  are  several  varieties  in  this  re- 
spect. Mungo  Pari  tells  us  of  the  large  red  Lion ;  and 
the  black  Lion  (so  called  from  the  hue  of  his  mane),  as 
described  by  Burchell,  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  for- 
midable of  the  tribe.  With  the  exception  of  his  mane  and 
the  tuft  at  the  end  of  the  tail,  his  hair  is  short.  His  tongue 
is  rough,  being  covered  with  large  prickly  substances,  with 
which  he  licks  ofl^  the  flesh  of  the  more  tender  kinds  of  his 
prey,  although  his  powerful  jaws  and  strong  teeth  enable 
him  to  crack  the  bones  of  whatever  he  kills,  which  with  his 
deadly  claws  lie  tears  asunder.  He  drinks  often,  lapping 
the  water  like  a  cat ;  and  it  has  been  said  that  he  requires 
fifteen  pounds  of  meat  every  day,  by  all  the  copyists  of  tha 
writer  who  first  made  the  assertion  ;  but  facts  show  that  he 
V*  willing  to  take  much  more  when  it  falls  in  his  way.  The 
a«ni5  class  of  writoi's  point  out  the  precise  animal  w  hich  he 
4  rl6rs  to  feast  upon,  Dne  averring  it  to  be  a  Camel,  another 


THE     LION.  87 

Bii  KJx ;  they,  in  short,  repeat  the  errors  and  inaccuracies  of 
preceding  writers,  without  appearing  to  have  made  the  least 
inquiry  upon  the  subject,  of  which  our  young  readers  will 
be  best  quaHfied  to  judge  from  the  evidence  of  the  facts 
which  we  shall  adduce. 

The  eye  of  the  Lion,  like  that  of  the  Cat  and  other  ani- 
mals of  this  trilje,  is  so  formed  that  he  can  see  objects 
distinctly  with  very  little  light,  which  enables  him  to  seek 
his  prey  by  night. 

Notwithstanding  the  oft-repeated  prejudices  in  favour  of 
the  Lion,  we  have  the  best  authority  for  saying  that  he 
usually  obtains  more  by  his  cunning  than  his  courage : 
hunger,  however,  will  render  him  desperate;  when,  conscious 
of  his  strength  and  regardless  of  danger,  he  will  attack 
whatever  comes  in  his  way,  whether  man  or  beast. 

Like  the  Cat,  he  crouches  and  seizes  his  prey  with  a 
bound;  but  when  satisfied  with  his  meal,  he  will  not,  like 
the  Cat,  Tiger,  and  other  relentless  animals,  kill  for  the  mere 
pleasure  of  destruction ;  but  lies  contentedly  down  in  his 
lair,  which  is  generally  some  thicket  near  the  water,  where 
he  may  the  more  readily  spring  upon  the  unsuspecting  ani- 
mals that  chance  to  come  there  to  drink.  But  still  "  he  is 
brave  only  in  proportion  to  the  success  of  his  encounters," 
says  BufTon,  which  is  certainly  not  the  description  of  "mag- 
nanimous courage"  possessed  by  many  other  creatures : 
the  Dog,  for  instance,  though  so  much  his  inferior  in  size, 
•trength,  and  capability,  boldly  advances  to  attack  him 


88  THE    Lioir. 

and  does  not,  as  it  has  been  repeatedly  stated,  "  crouch  at 
the  foot  of  his  master  with  terror  on  seeing  a  Lion." 

The  Lion  will  live  to  about  twenty-five  years;  but  it  »s 
when  he  grows  old  that  he  becomes  the  most  troublesome 
to  njan ;  since,  while  he  is  able  to  provide  for  his  necessi- 
ties in  the  forest,  he  seeks  not  elsewhere  for  food ;  but,  as 
the  infirmities  of  age  steal  upon  him  and  preclude  him  either 
from  contending  with  inferior  animals  which  he  was  wont 
to  conquer,  or  from  insuring  the  game  he  was  accustomed 
successfully  to  prey  upon,  then  it  is  that  he  approaches  the 
domestic  flocks  and  herds  of  the  farmers ;  ravages  alike 
the  fold  and  the  pasture;  nor  ceases  to  pursue  his  course 
of  rapine  until,  in  turn,  pursued,  he  falls  a  victim  to  the 
determined  efforts  of  the  hunter. 

The  female  is  in  size  about  one  foui^lh  less  than  the  male, 
nor  has  she  anything  of  his  noble  appearance.  She  is  en- 
tirely without  mane,  of  a  more  slender  form,  and  possesses 
a  more  ferocious  disposition ;  indeed,  when  she  has  young 
ones,  she  attacks  whatever  she  meets  with  the  most  deter- 
mined inveteracy,  and  would  die  fighting  in  their  defence. 
It  has  been  said  that  while  she  has  cubs,  the  tamest  Lioness 
then  becomes  savage  and  intractable ;  but  this,  like  many 
other  of  the  oft-repeated  assertions  to  which  we  have  al. 
udcd,  is  decidedly  erroneous. 


THE    LIOK. 


ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

It  has  been  too  often  proved,  when  man  has  reduced  a 
naturally  savage  animal  to  obedience,  that,  not  content  with 
merely  commanding,  he  will  sometimes  inflict  unnecessary 
chastisement  where  kindness  alone  would  have  insured  a 
ready  acquiescence  to  his  desires ;  forgetful  that  Nature  is 
not  to  be  wholly  extinguished  by  art.  Persevering  cruelty 
has  occasioned  even  the  most  generous  of  all  quadrupeds, 
the  Dog  himself,  to  turn  upon  his  master;  and  those  who 
are  inclined  in  any  way  to  ill-treat  or  tantalize  animals 
which  are  ferocious  in  a  natural  state,  should  recollect  that 
»uch  a  course  is  the  surest  means  of  calling  into  action  their 
most  ungovernable  propensities.  We  take  this  opportunity 
of  cautioning  our  young  readers  also,  never  to  attempt  any 
familiarity  with  creatures  which  are  of  a  savage  nature, 
when  they  attend  an  exhibition  of  them,  however  submis. 
sive  and  friendly  they  may  appear  to  their  keepers,  since 
from  such  imprudent  conduct  the  most  serious  and  fatal 
results  have  occurred. 

We  now  proceed  to  show  the  Lion  reduced  to  a  state  of 
tamenesii  and  docility,  and  will  afterwards  show  him  as  he 
is  to  he  found  in  his  native  wilds. 

Labat  tells  us  of  a  gentleman  who  had  a  Lion  so  very 
tame  and  gentle  in  its  deportment,  that  he  used  to  allow  it 
to  lie  in  his  own  bed-chamber.  He  kept  a  servant  to  attend 
6 


Ot  *      THE    LION. 

to  it,  with  whom  it  was  also  very  familiar;  but  who, 
not  satisfied  with  the  Lion's  submission,  was  in  the  constant 
practice  of  beating  him,  which  the  creature  bore  tor  some 
time  with  comparative  patience.  One  morning  the  gentle- 
man was  awakened  by  an  unusual  noise,  when,  on  undrawing 
the  curtains  of  his  bed,  he  beheld  a  sight  that  chilled  him 
with  horror — the  Lion  was  growling  over  the  head  of  hia 
keeper,  which  he  had  actually  torn  from  the  body  I  Spring- 
ing out  of  bed,  he  escaped  from  the  room,  and  calling  for 
assistance,  the  creature  was  ultimately  secured  without  do- 
ing further  mischief. 

Like  many  other  animals,  the  Lion  becomes  attached  to 
any  creature  with  which  he  has  been  bred.  We  have  seen 
several,  each  of  which  was  confined  with  a  Dog;  one  with 
a  puppy  of  about  two  months  old,  that  snapped  at,  bit  and 
teased  him,  all  of  which  the  noble  brute  bore  with  the  ut- 
most good-humour  and  forbearance.  We  also  saw  a 
second  Lion  with  a  full-sized  rough  terrier  in  his  cage  ;  and 
a  third  with  a  very  large  female  of  the  pointer  breed  which 
had  suckled  him,  between  which  and  himself  there  appear- 
ed to  be  a  strong  attachment.  Although  her  nursling 
stood  in  no  need  of  her  assistance,  had  there  been  any  dan- 
ger at  hand,  yet  she  placed  herself  before  him  and  showed 
strong  symptoms  of  anger  if  any  one  approached  too  near 
the  den;  notwithstanding,  he  appeared  very  indifl^rent 
upon  the  subject  himself ;  but  he  rubbed  his  head  against 
her,  placing  his  lower  jaw  upon  her  shoulders,  aud  while  he 


THELION.  91 

opened  Lis  large  mouth  wide  enough  to  have  swallowed  hei 
up,  she  was  playfully  biting  his  under  lip. 

We  will  now  show  the  Lion  in  his  native  wilds  ;  remind- 
ing our  readers  that  we  have  already  told  them  they  mus, 
not  expect  to  find  the  same  degree  of  cool,  determined  cou« 
rage  in  untamed  Lions,  as  is  possessed  by  an  English  bull- 
dog or  mastiff.  John  Campbell,  minister  of  Kingsland 
Chapel,  London,  says,  when  travelling  as  a  missionary  in 
South  Africa,  his  party  fell  in  with  many  Lions.  As  they 
were  one  day  approaching  a  fountain,  where  they  intended 
to  halt,  two  of  the  horsemen  came  galloping  towards  the 
wagons ;  they  had  seen  two  Lions  couching  among  the 
reeds ;  and  thirteen  armed  men  (after  the  wagons  had 
been  chained,  for  fear  the  sight  or  roaring  of  the  Lions 
should  scare  off  the  oxen  yoked  to  them)  prepared  to  give 
them  battle.  They  fired  into  the  lair  and  disabled  the 
female,  so  that  she  could  not  stir;  when  a  second  fire  killed 
her,  amidst  the  barking  of  the  dogs  which  accompanied  the 
people.  This  was  sufficient,  one  would  have  thought,  ta 
have  roused  an  African  Lion  to  action  ;  but,  instead  of  at- 
tacking his  enemies,  he  ran  up  an  ascending  slope,  in  an 
opposite  direction,  twice  looking  back  for  his  mate,  and  di!> 
appeared.  In  the  evening,  as  the  party  sat  at  supper,  the 
conversation  turned  upon  Lion-hunting ;  when  in  the  midst 
of  it,  they  heard  a  Lion  roar  at  a  little  distance  behind  their 
tent.  We  have  already  said  the  roar  of  a  Lion  is  tremen- 
dous, when  echoed  by  the  rocks  and  mountains ;  and  the 


98  THE    L  loir. 

more  so  from  his  placing  his  nose  near  the  ground.  On  tha 
present  occasion,  his  roar  was  succeeded  by  another,  stil 
nearer.  This  kind  of  savage  serenading  was  enough  to 
spoil  the  supper  of  any  party  who  were  compelled  to  take  it 
in  a  desert,  and  where  the  marauding  musician  might  take  a 
fancy  to  one  or  other  of  them  for  a  supper  for  himself. 
However,  he  caused  them  no  further  trouble  that  night,  and 
very  likely  he  found  the  carcass  of  his  mate,  which  had 
been  skinned  ;  and  which  the  Boors,  or  natives,  declared 
he  would  eat  if  he  discovered. 

Mr.  Pringle  was  a  settler  on  the  frontier  of  the  colony  of 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  was  one  of  a  party  engaged 
in  tha  sport  of  hunting  the  Lion,  when  his  savage  majesty 
(as  is  often  the  case)  did  not  choose  to  be  disturbed  in  his 
seclusion.  "  At  length,"  says  Mr.  Pringle,  "  after  some 
hours  spent  in  beating  about  the  bush,  the  Scottish  blood 
of  some  of  my  countrymen  began  to  get  impatient ;  and 
three  of  them  announced  their  determination  to  march  in 
and  beard  the  Lion  in  his  den."  The  Hottentots  of  the 
party  were  to  support  them  ;  but  when  the  three  had  fired 
and  roused  him,  out  he  bounded,  with  a  growl,  from  the 
bush,  and  away  flew  the  Hottentots,  leaving  the  Scotchmen 
to  make  the  best  terms  they  could  for  themselves  ;  who, 
with  their  empty  guns  in  their  hands,  were  tumbling  hel- 
ter-skelter one  over  another,  to  get  out  of  the  animal's 
reach.  In  an  instant,  however,  he  had  knocked  down  one 
of  them  (Mr.  John  Rennie  of  East  Lothian)  with  his  paw, 


THE    LION.  dS 

over  whom  he  stood  in  all  the  dignity  of  majestic  power ; 
while  the  others  were  scrambling  towards  their  friends  as 
fast  as  they  could,  yet  in  such  a  way  as  to  prevent  these 
very  fnends  from  firing,  lest  they  should  hit  one  of  them. 
There  stood  the  enormous  Lion,  with  his  foot  upon  one  of 
their  party,  staring  at  the  rest,  who,  with  their  guns  cock- 
ed,  were  afraid  to  shoot,  lest  they  might  wound  him.  All 
this,  however,  was  the  affair  of  an  instant ;  since  the  Lion, 
in  a  few  seconds,  bounded  away  over  bushes  and  thickets 
twelve  or  fifteen  feet  high,  as  the  settler  observes,  "  like  a 
cat  over  a  footstool,"  leaving  his  prostrate  enemy  with  a 
severe  bruise  in  his  ribs  from  the  tap  of  his  paw  in  dashing 
him  down,  and  a  few  slight  scratches  on  his  back.  Not- 
withstanding the  broad  hint  the  Lion  had  just  given  them, 
they,  however,  now  pursued  him  up  a  mountain,  with  Hot- 
tentots and  hounds  in  full  cry,  until  they  came  up  with 
him,  where  he  stood  under  a  tree  by  the  side  of  a  stream ; 
but  there  was  no  volunteering  to  "  beard  him"  this  time ; 
and  while  the  dogs  kept  him  at  bay,  the  Hottentots  ascend- 
ed the  heights  on  one  side,  the  gentlemen  occupying  a  safe 
position  on  the  other;  and  both  cracking  away  at  him 
with  their  guns,  he  dropped,  covered  with  wounds. 

He  was  of  the  pale  or  yellow  kind ;  and  from  the  tip  of 
the  nose  to  the  end  of  the  tail,  measured  twelve  feet.  As 
a  trophy  of  the  victory  thus  obtained  in  the  desert,  and  as  a 
tribute  of  respect  to  Sir  Walter  Scott,  the  skull  anJ  skin 


01  TH  E     T  IGER. 

of  the  Lion  were  forwarded  to  him  at  Abbotsford,  where 
they  are  still  to  be  seen. 

The  Puma  or  Cougar. — He  is  chiefly  an  inhabitant  of 
South  America ;  but  he  is  known  also  to  the  mountains  ol 
Carolina,  Georgia,  and  Pennsylvania,  and  is  sometimes  call- 
ed the  "  American  Lion,"  and  is  about  from  four  to  five 
feet  in  length,  with  stout  limbs,  of  a  handsome  fawn-colour, 
and  silvery  white  underneath  :  it  has  no  mane,  its  tail  is 
long,  without  a  tuft  at  the  end,  but  is  of  nearly  equal  thick- 
ness, like  that  of  the  wild-cat,  which  this  animal  closely 
resembles  in  its  cowardice,  cunning,  and  thirst  of  blood. 
It  will,  however,  unlike  the  cat,  swim  across  rivers  after  its 
prey ;  climb  trees,  and  seize  upon  everything  which  it  is 
not  afraid  to  attack  ;  and  from  the  tree  it  will  drop  on  the 
deer  or  any  larger  prey.  Like  a  cat,  it  may  indeed  be 
tamed,  but  it  is  scarcely  safe  to  trust  it.  The  late  actor, 
Kean,  had  one  with  which  he  is  said  to  have  been  very 
mmiliar. 


TiGBis— THE  TIGER. 

Op  all  the  creatures  of  this  tribe,  the  Tiger  is  most  to  be 
Ircaded,  since  he  is  the  most  powerful,  agile,  and  ferocious 
yrant  of  the  Indian  jungle.     Cuvier  truly  calls  him  "  san- 


THE     TIGER.  9b 

guiniferous ; '  since  such  is  his  delight  to  revel  in  gore, 
that  he  will  force  his  head  into  the  wounds  he  inflicts  upon 
his  prey,  which  he  will  often  quit  ere  he  devour  it,  to  attack 
n  second  object,  and  slake  his  thirst  in  its  blood. 

The  Tiger  is  a  beautiful  animal  to  look  at ;  the  bright 
yellowish-red  ground  of  his  skin  elegantly  marked  with 
regular  and  jet-black  stripes  across  his  body  and  legs,  is 
delicately  contrasted  by  the  snowy  whiteness  of  his  throat 
and  belly.  He  possesses  the  elegance  of  form  and  agility 
of  the  cat,  with  all  her  cruel  qualities,  and  with  terrific 
means  of  gratifying  them.  The  largest  kind  is  most  plen- 
tiful in  Hindoostan,  and  is  called  the  "  Royal  Tiger," 
which  is  sometimes  nearly  five  feet  in  height  and  ten  in 
length.  Of  the  strength  of  this  animal  some  judgment 
may  be  formed,  when  our  readers  are  told  that  he  will 
readily  bear  off  a  horse  or  a  buffalo,  throwing  the  carcass 
over  his  shoulders,  and  bounding  away  with  it  to  his  jun- 
gle ;  and  when  it  is  considered  how  far  a  cat  will  spring  in 
pursuit  of  her  prey,  some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  capa- 
city of  the  Tiger,  according  to  his  proportionate  size  and 
strength.  The  province  of  Bengal,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Ganges,  is  infested  with  Tigers,  some  of  which  are  as  large 
as  an  ordinary  horse.  Varieties  are  common  also  on  the 
Malabar  coast,  the  southern  parts  of  India  generally,  in  the 
Indiai  Islands,  and  in  Africa. 

T  .ey  differ  in  size,  strength,  and  general  appearanc#,  and 
also  in  their  daring,  according  to  their  genera  and  location. 


96  THE    TIGER. 

The  Tiger  inhabiting  the  Sunderbunds  (or  k)*_,'^t;  J>  a* 
woody  islands  in  the  Delta  of  the  Ganges),  spricgi  "poa 
h^s  prey  from  his  hidden  retreat;  while  in  Sumatra  (\,her«» 
the  superstitious  mhabitants  will  scarcely  attempt  his  der- 
truction  until  their  own  villages  are  attacked),  he  ravage* 
with  impunity,  depopulating  whole  districts  to  a  frightfu-" 
extent.  Here  is  also  to  be  found  that  variety  of  the  specie* 
called  the  Tortoise-shell  Tiger,  which,  as  Sir  Thomas  Stam- 
ford Raffles  says,  is  comparatively  harmless,  and  dreaded 
by  the  natives  on  the  score  of  their  poultry  only.  Therr 
are  also  white  and  black  varieties  of  the  order ;  the  forme: 
to  be  met  with  in  India,  the  latter  in  Southern  Africa. 

The  Tiger  is,  perhaps,  the  only  animal  that  contends 
successfully  against  the  Lion.  In  general  he  is  les>< 
muscular,  but  more  nimble  and  ferocious.  Such  is  hi? 
ardour  in  the  pursuit  of  his  prey,  that  he  will  follow  it  ir 
the  water,  and  sometimes  attack  a  boat's  crew,  —  who 
where  such  an  enemy  may  be  expected,  are  always  pro- 
vided with  hatchets,  with  which  they  chop  his  paws  when 
he  places  them  on  the  gunwale,  or  edge,  of  their  boat;  from 
whence,  as  upon  all  other  occasions,  he  is  always  inclined 
to  prefer  a  black  man  (owing  perhaps  to  the  smell  of  his 
skin)  to  a  white  one.  He  does  not  i-oar,  but  makes  a 
hideous  and  frightful  noise,  somewhat  of  a  violent  howhng 
"ry,  and  always  takes  his  prey  with  a  bound;  certainly 
not  jiDssessing  the  cool  courage  of  a  thoro'jgh-bred  dog, 
which  would  deliberately  attack  an  enemy  though  greatly 
kin  superior. 


THE    TIGER. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES.  r 

Like  other  voracious  beasts,  nothing  will  deter  the  Tiger 
from  attempting  to  obtain  his  prey  when  hungry,  however 
apparent  may  be  the  danger  he  risks.  A  Scotchman,  who 
was  a  soldier  in  India,  assured  us,  that  while  the  army 
was  on  its  march,  in  broad  day,  an  enormously  large 
Tiger  sprang  from  a  jungle  which  they  were  passing,  and 
carried  off  one  of  the  men  in  his  mouth,  with  as  much 
ease  "  as  a  cat  would  carry  off  a  mouse," — and  was  out 
of  sight  before  any  effort  could  be  made  for  the  recovery 
of  the  poor  man,  so  quick  and  unexpected  was  the  whole 
occurrence.  The  Postmen  of  India,  who  are  called 
Dawks,  and  who  travel  on  foot,  are  frequently  seized  by 
these  creatures,  as  are  those  who  escort  them ;  nor  can 
anything  be  more  dangerous  than  for  individuals  to  ven- 
ture, unless  in  well-armed  bodies,  within  their  blood-stained 
neighbourhoods.  In  1819,  an  Official  Report  was  pre. 
sented  to  the  Indian  Government,  in  which  it  was  stated 
that  eighty-four  persons  had  been  seized  and  carried  off  by 
Tigers,  from  one  district  only,  in  the  course  of  the  pre- 
ceding year.  It  may  be  supposed  how  much  the  pos- 
sessions of  the  East  India  Company  m.ust  have  been 
infested  with  these  depredators,  when  the  amount  of  pre- 
miums bestowed  upon  those  persons  who  slew  them  in  the 
year  1808,  is  stated  to  have  been  $75,000. 

Like  most  other  animals,  the  Tigress  is  attached  strongly 


98  THETIGER. 

to  her  young.  "  In  the  Oriental  Field  Sports,"  CaptftM 
Williamson  tells  us  that  some  peasants  in  India  had  fo'ind 
four  cubs  in  the  absence  of  their  mother,  and  brought 
him  two,  which  he  placed  in  a  stable.  After  howling 
for  several  nights,  the  Tigress  approached  and  responded 
to  them ;  and  it  was  deemed  prudent  to  let  them  out,  lest 
their  mamma  should  break  in;  —  the  next  morning  she 
carried  them  off. 

The  Tiger,  like  all  animals  when  brought  under  the 
control  of  man,  will  evince  signs  of  partiality  towards  his 
keeper,  or  others  accustomed  to  treat  him  kindly.  Still, 
we  think  the  familiarities  of  keepers  are  sometimes  carried 
too  far,  as  there  are  times  when  the  natural  instinct  of 
savage  brutes  will  reign  paramount,  in  despite  of  their 
training.  The  impropriety,  however,  of  strangers  at 
tempting  to  take  any  freedoms  with  such  creatures,  cannot  be 
too  often  nor  too  deeply  impressed  upon  the  minds  of  our 
readers, — since,  from  inattention  to  it,  how  many  fatal 
accidents  have  occurred!  A  schoolmaster  went  to  see  a 
menagerie,  where,  admiring  the  beauty  of  the  Tiger,  he 
offered  it  an  apple.  The  creature  seized  his  hand,  drag, 
ging  it  into  the  cage ;  and  although  by  the  efforts  of  the 
keepers  the  brute  was  compelled  to  let  it  go,  yet  it  was  so 
dreadfully  lacerated  that  amputation  became  necessary ; 
and,  in  a  few  days  afterwards,  the  poor  man  was  a  corpse. 

To  the   partiality  of  the  Orientalists   for  witnessing  the 
combats  of  wild  animals,  we  have  slightly  alluded ;  and 


THE     TIGER.  99 

will  now  give  our  readers,  not  only  an  illustration  of  their 
savage  tastes,  but  also  the  invincible  courage  of  their 
fellow-beings,  who  run  the  risk  of  a  dreadful  death  in  its 
gratification.  The  statement  from  which  we  are  about  to 
quote  is  narrated  by  a  gentleman  who  was  invited  by  the 
Rajah  of  Coorg  to  become  a  spectator  of  his  cruel  and 
terrific  amusetnents.  Coorg  is  a  principality  of  Hindoostan, 
which  our  youthful  readers  will  discover  upon  their  maps, 
situate  in  the  Western  Ghaut  mountains  of  that  vast 
region. 

The  Rajah,  with  true  Asiatic  vanity,  prided  himself 
upon  the  number  of  savage  beasts  he  possessed ;  having, 
it  was  said,  many  Lions  and  Tigers  which  had  been 
brought  to  perfect  submission,  besides  others  which  were 
kept  for  combating. 

On  the  appointed  day  of  the  exhibition  in  question,  the 
Rajah  with  his  court,  and  other  persons,  were  seated  in  a 
gallery,  below  which  was  an  arena  of  a  hundred  yards 
square,  where  the  sports  commenced.  After  some  en- 
gagements of  inferior  animals  had  ended,  a  man  entered 
the  arena  almost  naked,  having  on  a  pair  of  trowsers  only, 
that  just  covered  his  hips,  and  reached  scarcely  half-way 
down  his  thighs.  He  was  tall ;  and,  though  slight,  yet 
muscular,  strong,  and  active.  His  body  glistened  with  the 
oil  with  which  it  had  been  rubbed  to  add  to  the  pliability 
of  his  limbs ;  and  in  his  hand  he  held  what  is  cal'.sd  a 
coorg-knife,  somewhat  in  shape  like  a  plough-share,  about 


100  THETIGEK. 

two  feet  long,  three  or  four  inches  wide,  and  tapering  a 
little  towards  the  handle  :  it  is  heavy,  and  first  swung 
round  the  head  by  the  person  who  uses  it,  by  which  means 
a  blow  is  inflicted  with  a  force  that  is  truly  wonderful. 
The  Hindoo  who  now  appeared,  had  volunteered  to  combat 
with  a  Tiger ;  and,  having  brandished  his  weapon,  "  The 
expression  of  his  countenance,"  says  the  writer,  "  was 
absolutely  sublime  when  he  gave  the  signal  for  the  Tiger 
to  be  let  loose ;  it  was  the  very  concentration  of  moral 
energy — the  index  of  a  single  and  settled  resolution !" 

Men,  who  were  placed  above,  at  his  signal,  raised  the 
bars  of  a  cage  from  which  an  immense  Royal  Tiger  sprang 
before  him  with  a  half-stifled  growl,  and  waving  its  tail, 
upon  which  it  erected  the  hair  as  a  cat  does  when  she  is 
angry.  It  looked  at  its  antagonist,  who  met  it  with  his  eye, 
and  then  at  all  around ;  but  uneasy  at  its  novel  situation,  it 
leaped  again  into  its  cage,  from  which  the  keepers  above 
not  being  able  again  to  force  it,  let  fall  the  bars  by  which 
it  was  secured. 

Some  crackers  were  tied  to  the  creature's  tail,  which  pro- 
jected through  the  bars ;  to  these  the  man  applied  a  lighted 
match  that  had  been  handed  to  him,  and  the  bars  were 
again  drawn  up.  Tho  Tiger  now  bounded  out  of  its  den  in 
a  state  of  frantic  excitement,  until  the  crackers  having  ex- 
ploded, it  couched  gnarling  in  a  corner,  like  a  cat  when  she 
is  annoyed — the  bars  of  its  cage  had  been  let  down  ;  and 
the  brave  Hindoo,  who  had  been  watching  its  motions,  now 


THE     TIGEK.''*^  101 

slowly  and  resolutely  advanced  towards  it.  Thus  roused, 
the  hairs  of  its  body  became  erect,  and  its  tail  (like  the  tail 
of  an  angry  cat)  twice  its  usual  size  ;  yet,  as  the  man  slow- 
ly acfvanced,  it  again  retreated,  keeping  its  front  towards  its 
brave  opponent,  who  still  advanced  with  the  same  slow  and 
measured  step  as  before.  Suddenly  he  stopped ;  and  now 
paced  steadily  backwards,  his  eyes  still  fixed  on  his  enemy, 
which,  as  he  thus  retreated,  raised  itself  to  its  extreme 
height,  lashed  its  tail,  and  arched  its  back,  preparatory  to 
making  a  spring.  The  Hindoo  still  moved  gently  back- 
wards, and  when  the  Tiger  could  no  longer  see  t/ie  ezpreS' 
sion  of  his  eye,  it  bounded  towards  him  with  a  growl. 
With  the  swiftness  of  lightning,  however,  he  sprang  on 
one  side,  whirled  his  ponderous  knife  around  his  head,  and 
when  the  animal's  feet  reached  the  ground,  ii  felt  the  full 
force  of  the  irresistible  blow  designed  for  it,  just  above  the 
joint  of  the  hinder  leg,  the  bone  of  which  it  completely 
snapped  in  two.  The  Hindoo  i-etired  a  few  paces,  and  the 
wounded  beast,  disabled  from  making  another  spring,  roar, 
ing  with  pain,  rushed  towards  him  upon  its  three  legs  (the 
other  hanging  by  the  skin  only)  in  a  state  of  recklers  ex- 
citement,  while  its  coui*ageous  foe  stood  calm  and  determined, 
awaiting  the  shock,  poising  his  trusty  weapon  above  his 
head,  and  which,  when  his  antagonist  had  got  within  his  reach, 
he  struck  with  such  force  into  its  skull,  as  severed  it  from 
ear  to  ear,  and  the  conquered  brute  fell  dead  at  his  feet. 
He  then  calmly  drew  his  knife  across  the  Tiger's  skin  lo 


102  THE     PANTHEE. 

eleanse  it  of  the  blood  ;  made  "  a  dignified  salaam,"  of 
bow,  to  the  Rajah,  and  amidst  the  loud  plaudits  of  the 
spectators,  he  withdrew. 


Pardus— THE  PANTHER. 

The  Panther  is  the  next  of  the  Cat  tribe  to  the  tiger ;  and 
from  this  animal  downwards  to  the  cat  itself,  the  principal 
difference  is  their  decreasing  size  and  the  colour  of  their 
skins.  The  large  Panther  is  sometimes  six  feet  in  length, 
from  the  tip  of  the  nose  to  the  insertion  of  the  tail,  and  ex- 
ceeding three  in  height :  his  limbs  are  strong  and  muscu- 
lar ;  and  his  skin,  instead  of  being  striped  like  that  of  the 
tiger,  is  marked  with  clusters  of  black  spots,  each  cluster 
forming  an  irregular  circle,  in  the  centre  of  which  is  also 
a  spot.  These  rings  appear  all  over  the  upper  parts  of  his 
body,  which  is  of  a  tawny  yellow,  running  lighter  till  it  be- 
comes a  perfect  white  from  the  throat  to  the  whole  of  the 
under  part.  He  is  an  inhabitant  both  of  Asia  and  Africa, 
and  generally  obtains  the  mastery  over  the  leopard,  which 
ranks  next  in  size  to  himself,  in  the  countries  in  which  he 
ranges.  He  may  be  reduced  to  obedience,  like  others  of 
the  genus  to  which  he  belongs :  but  we  again  express  our 
decided  conviction  of  the  impropriety  of  strangers  making 


THE     PANTHEK.  108 

free  with  them,  and  of  such  instances  of  petting  them  as 
those  which  we  are  about  to  record. 


ILLUSTRATIVE   ANECDOTE. 

We  knew  a  gentleman  who  had  an  animal  of  this  kind 
given  to  him  when  it  was  young,  which  he  admitted  to  all 
the  familiarities  of  the  dog:  nay,  he  even  used  to  allow  it 
to  sleep  at  the  foot  of  his  bed.  The  creature  showed  a 
strong  attachment  to  him,  although  he  would  sometimes 
growl  at  others ;  but  even  when  his  master  chastised  him 
he  bore  it  patiently,  nor  ever  offered  resistance ;  and  he 
was  permitted,  without  restraint,  to  follow  him  about.  The 
poultry,  however,  were  occasionally  thinned,  and  Pard  (as 
he  was  called)  was  suspected  by  all  in  the  house  but  his 
master,  who  was  at  length  induced  to  chain  him  up.  Still 
the  poultry  decreased  as  before ;  upon  which  his  master 
observed  that  "  poor  JPard  could  not  now  be  charged  with 
the  robbery."  But,  going  one  day  to  feed  him  (which  he 
always  did  himself),  he  saw  a  quantity  of  feathers  at  the 
further  end  of  the  kennel,  and  went  a  short  distance  off  to 
watch  the  creature's  motions,  as  some  fowls  were  just  then 
within  a  few  yards  of  it :  when,  to  his  surprise,  he  saw  the 
animal  place  small  pieces  of  stale  bread,  potato,  «Sic.,  wilhin 
the  limits  of  his  chain,  and  retire  into  his  box :  the  fowis 
jastcned  to  partake  of  his  treacherous  bounty,  wlien  hft 


f 0t  THE     LEOPAAD. 

sprang  upon  them  from  his  concealment,  and  dragged  in 
tliree  to  devour  as  a  dessert  after  the  dinner  he  had  just 
eaten. 


Leopardus— THE  LEOPARD. 

The  Leopard  strongly  resembles  the  panther,  but  is 
smaller,  being  scarcely  four  feet  in  length  and  two  in 
height.  His  skin  is,  however,  still  more  beautiful,  showing 
a  brighter  yellow  more  deeply  marked,  although  there  is 
no  spot  in  the  centres  of  the  spaces  formed  by  other  spots, 
as  is  the  case  with  the  panther.  He  is  a  native  of  the  same 
countries,  preys  upon  all  that  he  is  able  to  destroy,  but  flics 
from  man  unless  closely  pressed,  when  he  will  turn  upon 
his  pursuers  with  desperate  resistance.  From  his  agility  in 
climbing  he  is  sometimes  called  the  Tree-Tiger. 


THE  JAGUAR. 


The  Jaguar,  called  also  the  panther  of  South  America, 
and  the  American  Tiger,  possesses  all  the  cowardly,  rapa- 
cious, and  cruel  attributes  of  his  tribe.  He  is  somewhat 
between  the  size  of  the  panther  and  the  leopard,  and  is  not 


THE     Ctttt'Ak.  105 

•nly  spotted,  but  marked  about  the  head'  an&  neck  with 
black  streaks. 


THE  CHETAH. 

The  Chetah,  or  Hunting  Leopard,  is  considerably  less 
than  the  panther,  and  scarcely  ever  exceeds  throe  feet  and 
a  half  in  length,  with  a  tail  almost  as  long  as  its  body. 
He  is  of  a  dark  cream  colour  on  the  back,  which  runs  into 
a  white  hue  downwards,  and  the  spots  upon  his  body  are 
not  so  dark  as  those  of  the  leopard.  He  is,  in  India,  em- 
ployed in  the  chase,  and  is  of  a  much  more  docile  temper 
than  most  others  of  his  race. 

The  manner  of  hunting  with  the  Chetah  is  very  peculiar. 
He  is  taken  on  a  sort  of  wheeled  carriage,  drawn  by  bufia- 
loes,  with  his  eyes  hoodwinked,  and  a  rope,  or  collar, 
passed  round  his  neck.  When  the  hunters  arrive  within 
sight  of  the  herd,  the  hood  is  suddenly  removed  from  his 
eyes,  and  the  collar  slipped  ;  the  gan\e  is  shown  him,  when, 
with  the  treacherous  cunning  of  his  nature,  he  creeps 
stealthily  along  behind  whatever  bush  or  herbage  he  may 
find  to  screen  himself,  until  within  reach  of  his  prey,  which 
by  an  agile  bnund  or  two  he  seizes  and  brings  down.  The 
hunter  then  advances,  again  puts  on  the  hood  and  collar, 
and  having  rewarded  the  Chetah  with  the  blood  of  its  vic- 
7 


THE     OCELOT. 

tim,  he  leads  it  to  the  carriage,  upon  which  it  is  again 
secured.  In  speaking  of  the  Gazelle,  we  have  already  ob- 
served that  if  the  Chetah  fail  in  his  attempt,  he  will  not, 
then,  pursue  the  chase. 

A  great  number  of  deer  may  be  caught  in  a  day,  with  a 
fcw  Chetahs,  in  the  way  described  above. 


THE  OCELOT. 


The  Ocelot  is  a  native  of  South  America,  and  is  one  of 
Ihe  most  beautiful,  yet  fierce  and  untractable,  of  the  Cat 
family.  He  is  smaller  than  the  chetah,  of  a  graceful  form, 
and  his  skin  of  a  fawn  colour,  variegated  with  black 
streaks  and  spots  all  over  it.  He  pursues  his  game  upon 
the  tops  of  trees  as  fiercely  as  on  the  ground.  These 
creatures  appear  to  be  fonder  of  the  blood  than  of  the  flesh  of 
their  prey,  the  carcasses  of  which  they  will  frequently  leave 
untouched,  to  seek  for  the  blood  of  other  victims.  BufTon 
had  a  pair  of  these  animals  that  had  been  taken  from  their 
mother  very  young,  which  he  afterwards  placed  with  a 
bitch  to  suckle.  The  latter  took  every  care  of  them ;  but 
before  they  were  three  months  old,  they  fell  upon,  killed. 
and  devoured  her. 


TH£    LI  NX.  MO 

THE  LYNX. 

The  Lynx  is  a  native  of  cold  climates,  inhabiting  the 
northern  parts  of  Europe,  Asia,  and  America.  It  is  in 
length  somewhat  smaller  than  the  Chetah  :  but  unlike  most 
of  the  order  to  which  it  belongs,  its  tail  is  short,  and  black 
at  the  tip,  reaching  only  to  the  middle  joint  of  its  legs.  Its 
ears  are  long,  erect,  and  tipped  with  a  tuft  of  black  hair. 
The  colour  of  its  skin  is  a  reddish  gray,  with  dusky  spots 
underneath,  the  fur  being  long  and  thick :  its  eyes  are 
bright,  having  a  whitish  circle  round  them,  and  have  been 
fabulously  recorded  to  possess  the  power  of  seeing  through 
trees  and  other  solid  bodies:  hence  the  custom  of  calling 
quick-sighted  persons  "  Lynx-eyed."  It  seeks  its  prey  by 
stealth,  and  prefers  fresh  game  to  feasting  twice  upon  the 
same  carcass. 

Its  skin  forms  an  important  article  of  commerce. 


THE  CARACAL. 


The  Caracal,  or  Syagush,  much  resembles  the  lynx  in 
size,  appearance,  and  habits ;  but  is  fiercer,  and  is  a 
native  of   both   Africa   and   Asia.     As   the   lion,   when 


108  THE     SERYAL. 

satisfied  with  his  meal,  retires,  the  Caracal  follows  his 
track  to  partake  of  what  the  stronger  brute  may  leave. 
He,  however,  avoids  the  panther,  and  such  other  creatures 
as  destroy  even  when  they  are  filled  ;  and  is  sometimes, 
like  the  jackal,  called  the  "  Lion's  Provider."  In  India 
he  is  used  for  pursuing  small  game. 


THE  SERVAL. 


The  Serval  is  also  so  much  like  the  caracal,  that  it 
would  be  only  a  repetition  further  to  distinguish  it.  It  is 
used  for  the  same  purpose,  and  is  to  be  met  with  on  the 
coast  of  Malabar.  From  the  cat  up  the  lion,  to  a  certain 
extent,  ihe  same  qualities  may  be  traced  (the  latter  only 
not  possessing  the  innate  cruelty  of  disposition  of  the 
rest) ;  they  all  evince  a  degree  of  cowardice  to  a  superior 
force,  and  engage  with  it  rather  from  desperation  than 
choice.  Their  internal  conformation  is  also,  very  similar, 
£is  is  also  the  construction  of  their  tongues  (which  are  all 
rough),  teeth,  and  claws ;  the  'atter  being  retractile — that 
is,  they  are  drawn  in  or  extei  ded  at  pleasure :  and  this 
order,  t.ikcn  as  a  whole,  may  be  truly  deemed  the  most 
formidable  enemy  with  which  man  has  to  contend. 


THE    ZEBBA..  IQQ 


THE  ZEBRA. 


The  Zebra  is  a  beautifully  marked  creature*,  somewhat 
larger  than  the  ass;  plump,  round,  and  symmetrical  in 
form :  his  ears  are  much  shorter  than  the  ass's,  but  longer 
than  those  of  the  horsd,  than  whose  its  head  is  somewhat 
larger  in  proportion  to  its  body,  and  it  has  a  tufted  tail. 
Its  chief  beauty,  however,  is  the  regularity  of  the  black 
stripes  over  its  whole  body,  which  is  of  a  grayish  white. 
These  stripes  are  of  as  exact  form  and  dimensions  as 
though  fhey  had  been  pencilled ;  and  appearing  on  a 
smooth  and  glossy  skin,  it  is  impossible  to  conceive  an 
animal  more  delicately  and  strikingly  distinguished. 

He  is  a  native  of  South  Africa,  and  feeds,  as  does  the 
wild  horse,  in  company  with  his  fellows ;  nor  is  he  less 
watchful  than  that  animal, — but  much  more  timid,  flying 
with  the  swiftness  of  an  arrow  at  the  least  suspicion  of 
danger,  and  by  his  flight  often  showing  that  he  suspects  it 
when  none  is  near.  He  is  often  said  to  be  irreclaimably 
wild  in  his  yery  nature ;  since  it  is  asserted  that  no 
attempt  which  has  hitherto  been  made  to  reduce  him  to 
servitude  has  succeeded.  We  have  seen  many  living 
specimens  of  this  animal  in  a  confined  state;  and,  although 
it  may  sometimes  happen  that  they  allow  the  persons  who 
attend  them  to  take  some  freedoms  with  them,  we  believe 
that  such  instances  are  the  only  signs  of  docility  these  t 


^^  THE     QUAGGA. 

creatures  have  yet  evinced.  It  may,  however,  be  owin^ 
more  to  the  want  of  proper  training  in  these  animals,  than 
to  an  inherent  intractability  in  their  nature,  that  they  have 
not  been  rendered  useful  servants  to  man  ;  but  CafTres  and 
Hottentots  are  not  the  most  likely  people  to  effect  such 
an  object ;  although  we  think  that,  were  the  pains  taken 
with  the  Zebra  that  are  bestowed  upon  the  Horse,  it  would 
in  time  be  found  that  they  had  not  been  thrown  away. 
We  have  here  spoken  of  the  smaller  kind :  Mr.  Burchell 
has  described  a  much  larger  species  which  inhabits  the 
plains  north  of  the  Cape,  and  which,  he  says,  is  very 
strong  and  muscular. 

The  QuAGGA  or  Quacha  is  a  species  of  the  Zebra, 
although  by  no  means  so  beautifully  marked,  and  with 
longer  ears,  but  which  are  not  of  so  thick  and  clunnsy  an 
appearance  as  those  of  the  common  ass.  He  is  an  elegant- 
looking  creature,  and  remarkably  fleet ;  but  though  he 
inhabits  the  same  parts  of  Africa  as  the  Zebra,  they  do  not 
associate,  but  feed  in  their  respective  herds.  The  Bushmen 
and  Caffres  consider  the  flesh  of  ihis  animal  a  great 
delicacy. 


THE     BISQjr.l  lit 


THE  BISON. 


This  animal  is  of  the  Ox  tribe ;  and  by  Biiffon  and 
other  naturalists  said  to  be  the  Bonassus  of  the  ancie/its. 
He  is  to  be  found  chiefly  in  the  prairies  (or  plains)  of  No/th 
America,  where  countless  herds  of  them  roam  at  large. 
About  the  size  of  the  ox,  the  appearance  of  the  Bison  is 
much  more  fierce,  his  colour  is  nearly  black ;  he  has  a 
hump  upon  his  shoulders,  from  whence  flows  a  long  mane 
over  his  neck  and  fore  parts,  which  reaches  down  to  his 
knees;  he  has  a  thick  tuft  upon  his  head;  a  long  beard 
under  his  chin ;  and,  when  enraged,  a  fiery-looking  eye. 
His  flesh  is  excellent  eating;  and  owing  to  the  fineness  of 
his  wool,  his  skin  is  so  valuable  that,  as  Dr.  Richa-dson 
tells  us,  a  good  one  is  worth  from  fifteen  to  twenty  dol- 
lars.  This  wool,  he  says,  has  been  manufactured  into 
«  fine  and  beautiful  cloth  in  England.  The  herds  (four  or 
five  thousand  head,  each)  feed  quietly  if  unmolested ;  but 
when  they  turn  upon  the  hunters,  they  bear  all  down  before 
them.  Cuvier  says,  "  if  wolves  offer  to  attack  them, 
they  form  themselves  into  a  circle  and  repel  them." 
They  are  the  favourite  game  of  the  Indian,  who  some- 
times kills  them  by  hunting,  and  at  others,  by  stratagem, 
«hcn  he  destroys  them  by  hundreds  at  a  time.  In  the  lat- 
ter case,  the  Indian  disguises  himself  in  the  skin  of  a 
Bison,  so  that  the  head  part  may  appear  like  the  original : 


112  THE   MAUUOTH. 

he  then  places  himself  between  the  herd  and  the  edge  of  s 
precipice,  having,  however,  first  insured  to  himself  a  place 
of  retreat  and  security.  His  companions  then  secrete 
tnemselves  at  convenient  distances,  so  as  nearly  to  surround 
tJie  herd  (somewhat  like  the  wolves  in  scaring  deer),  and, 
at  a  signal  agreed  upon,  start  up,  uttering  hideous  yells  ;  the 
alarmed  creatures  rush  towards  their  disguised  enemy  at 
the  edge  of  the  precipice,  who  secures  himself,  and  count- 
less numbers,  all  rushing  forward  with  impetuosity,  fall 
headlong  on  the  broken  rocks  below  to  meet  a  certain 
death. 

The  Yack,  of  Thibet,  is  also  of  the  Ox  tribe,  and  somewhat 
like  the  buflalo,  having,  however,  a  flowing  tail  like  a  horse, 
and  a  short  mane.  Its  tail  is  said  to  form  the  standard  of 
dignity ;  and  Pachas  of  one,  two,  or  three  tails,  take  pre- 
cedence accordingly.     The  Yack  is  fierce  and  untameable. 


THE  MAMMOTH. 


Ijr  calling  the  attention  of  youth  to  this  stupendous  quad- 
ruj^ed,  now  no  longer  in  existence,  let  them  reflect  that  by 
the  same  Almighty  Hand  was  created  everything  in  regular 
order  and  gradation,  even  to  the  most  minute  object  possess. 


THE    MAMMOTH.  113 

ing  animal  life,  it  should,  indeed,  remind  them,  that  they 
formed  by  the  same  Omnipotence,  are  but  as  atoms  in  the 
great  work  of  creation;  and  tliat,  endowed  with  a  mind, 
above  all  other  of  God's  creatures,  they  should  not  arrogate 
to  themselves  any  superlative  excellence,  but  gratefully  bow 
with  reverence  and  humility  to  Him  who  has  called  them 
into  life ;  an  attention  by  which  they  can  alone  be  e«aabled 
to  entertain  a  just  sense  of  their  duties  towards  their  fi  Uow- 
<5reatures  and  to  themselves. 

Of  the  Behemoth,  (frequently  called  Mammoth,)  it  is  in 
the  Holy  Scriptures  said,  that  "  he  eateth  grass  as  an  ox ; 
— he  moveth  his  tail  like  a  cedar : — his  bones  are  strong  as 
bars  of  iron ; — he  lieth  under  the  shady  trees  in  the  covert 
of  the  reeds  and  fens;" — and  that  "he  drinketh  up  a 
river."  But  in  the  same  sacred  writings  we  are  informed 
that,  although  "  he  is  the  chief  of  the  ways  of  God,  He 
that  made  him  can  make  his  sword  to  approach  unto  him."* 

•  We  are  fally  aware  of  the  opinions  of  many  learned  men  relative 
to  the  Behemoth,  some  of  whom  declare  that  animal  to  be  the 
elephant ;  while  others,  and  the  greater  number,  perhaps,  aver  it  to 
be  the  Hippopotamus,  or  River  Horse.  Dr.  Harris  (Nat.  Hist,  of  the 
Bible)  says,  "In  the  first  edition  of  this  work,  I  was  at  some  pains 
to  prove  that  the  elephant  was  intended  ;  but  a  more  critical  exami- 
nation of  the  subject  has  changed  my  opinion."  Whatever  may  be 
the  decisions  and  illustrations  of  learned  men,  as  to  which  of  the 
above-named  creatures  is  intended  by  the  representation  which  we 
have  quoted  from  Holy  Writ,  we  shall  not  trouble  oiu-  young  readers 
Oy  repeating  them ;  but  proceed  with  our  narration  oi  facts  relative  to 


jfl  THE     MAMMOTH 

When,  and  by  what  means,  its  Creator  willed  the 
Mammoth  to  become  extinct,  it  is  impossible  for  erring 
human  science  to  discover ;  nor  is  it  necessary  to  the 
»d\ancemont  of  intellectual  improvement  that  we  should 
know. 

The  many  specimens  of  fossils  and  petrifactions*  which 
have  been  dug  up  in  the  intensely  cold  northern  climates, 
where  bones  of  the  Mammoth,  elephant,  and  rhinoceros 
have  been  found  in  great  quantities  in  their  natural  state, 
prove  that  the  seasons  have  entirely  changed  in  those 
regions  fronfi  what  they  were  when  inhabited  by  those  huge 
and  stupendous  creatures ;  as  it  is  well  known  that  the  two 
latter  could  not  exist  in  such  a  frigid  temperature  as  that 
where  their  remains  are  met  with  in  abundance,  since 
these  are  found  throughout  the  continent  of  northern  Asia, 
to  the  point  nearest  to  America,  in  all  the  great  rivers. 
BufTon  says,  that  some  of  these  specimens  have  been  also 

the  stupendous  animal  known  as  the  Mammoth,  without  offering  a 
remark  of  our  own  as  to  whether  the  elephant,  or  the  hippopotamus, 
was  or  is  the  Behemoth  of  Scripture. 

•  Our  readers  are  to  understand  that  a  petrifaclion  is  any  substance 
which  is  changed  into  stone,  caused  by  a  lengthened  immersion  in 
certain  waters  possessing  the  power  of  causing  the  change,  or  by 
being  buried  in  ilie  earth  so  impregnated  as  to  affect  it.  Thjs,  a 
wig,  a  roll,  a  straw,  &c.,  become  stone,  after  having  been  left  a 
certain  length  of  time  in  such  waters.  The  bones  of  the  large  ani- 
mals we  speak  of  have  become  petrified  in  those  places  from  whence 
they  were  dug.  Fossils  are  mineral  substances  which  are  dug  out  of 
the  earth. 


THE    MAMMOTH.  115 

found  in  Ireland ;  and  we  have  a  positive  proof  that  within 
the  last  few  years  they  have  also  been  discovered  in 
Buenos  Ayres.  Cuvier  thinks  that  the  change  of  climate 
must  have  taken  place  suddenly ;  since,  "  had  the  cold," 
he  says,  "  come  on  slowly  and  by  degrees,  the  softer  parts 
by  which  the  bones  are  found  still  covered  must  have  had 
time  to  decay,  as  we  find  in  hotter  climates."  But, 
eaving  the  speculative  theorems  of  philosophy,  we  proceed 
to  facts  relating  to  the  animal  itself.  ' 

There  are  several  appellations  by  which  it  is  distin- 
guished, implying  its  great  size ;  but  as  Mammoth  is  the 
general  term,  we  shall  adhere  to  it,  which  we  believe  is  a 
Tartarian  word,  signifying  "  creature  of  the  plain,"  or, 
"  animal  of  the  earth." 

Buffon  says,  "  The  prodigious  Mammoth,  whose  enormous 
bones  I  have  often  viewed  with  astonishment,  and  which 
were  at  least  six  times  bigger  than  those  of  the  largest 
elepliant,  exists  no  longer." 

■  Seven  feet  and  a  half  was  the  height  of  the  tallest 
human  being  we  ever  saw,  who  was  exhibited  as  a  giant. 
A  large  elephant  is  twice  the  height  of  such  a  man,  and, 
consequently,  fifteen  feet  high ;  while  the  skeleton  of  the 
Mammoth,  six  times  the  height  of  the  elephant,  shows  an 
altitude  of  ninety  feet. 

In  1799,  the  whole  carcass  of  a  Mammoth  was  discover 
ed,  by  a  Tartar,  frozen  in  a  cliff  in  Siberia,  near  to  the 
mouth  of  the  river  Lena^  which  empties  itself  into  the  Fro 


116  THE     MAMMOTH. 

zen  Ocean.  Thus  embedded  and  preserved  in  ice,  it  had 
probably  lain  upwards  of  three  thousand  years,  and  still 
continued  in  its  inaccessible  tomb  for  upwards  of  four  years 
after  it  had  been  discovered,  as  we  have  stated  above.  In 
1603,  however,  the  cliff  became  sufficiently  thawed  to  allow 
the  prodigious  mass  to  break  away,  and  it  fell.  As  it  was 
not  petrified,  but  had  been  frozen  only,  its  flesh,  skin,  and 
hair,  still  exhibited  freshness  ;*  thus  it  lay  at  the  base  of 
the  cliff  for  two  years,  a  prey  to  bears  and  wolves,  when 
its  colossal  bones  were  collected,  and  conveyed  to  St. 
Petersburgh.  Notwithstanding  the  ravages  made  by  the 
wolves,  &c.,  upon  the  carcass,  much  of  the  skin  and  hair 
were  preserved ;  of  the  latter,  thirty-six  pounds  are  stated 
to  have  been  gathered  from  the  sands  into  which  the  bears 
had  trodden  it.  This  was  of  a  black  colour;  and,  upon 
some  parts  of  the  skin  was  a  kind  /)f  wool,  of  a  brownish 
red.  It  is  stated  of  this  monstrous  creature,  that  its  head 
and  tusks  alone  weighed  seven  hundred  and  forty-four 
pounds !  What  the  vast  strength  of  such  an  animal  must 
have  been,  when  living,  it  is  impossible  to  conceive ;  and 
much  less  that  such  a  powerful  race  could  have  been  sub- 
dued, or  even  controlled  by  man. 

*  Our  readers  are  by  this  to  understand,  that  intense  cold  is  a 
preservative  of  flesh,  &c.  The  Russians  kill  their  poultry  for  some 
months  before  they  have  occasion  to  use  it,  which  they  pack  in  tuba 
of  snow,  and  thus  save  the  expense  of  feeding  it.  Meat  and  fish  are 
in  this  way  preserved  and  exposed  to  sale  in  the  markets  of  St 
Petersburgh,  &c. 


THE     ELEPHANT.  117 


Elephas— THE  ELEPHANT. 

The  Elephant  is  the  largest  brute  in  existence,  and  pos- 
sesses more  sagacity  than  any  other  quadruped.  His 
senses  are  all  acute,  his  nature  gentle,  his  attachments 
strong ;  and  although  his  appearance  is  by  no  means  pre- 
possessing, on  a  first  interview,  yet,  we  no  sooner  become 
familiar  with  his  amiable  qualities  than  we  forget  his  clumsy 
appearance,  while  pur  wonder  is  enhanced  that  so  powerful 
a  creature,  conscious  of  its  own  strength,  should  have  sub- 
mitted to  the  drudgery  imposed  upon  him  by  his  master. 

The  height  of  the  Elephant  is  from  about  seven  or  eight 
to  fifteen  feet ;  his  bulk  is  immense,  and  his  limbs  appear 
like  four  colossal  posts  supporting  the  huge  mass  of  flesh 
they  are  designed  to  carry,  but  which  he  does  not  move 
with  pliancy  nor  freedom ;  and  although  he  has  five  round 
toes  on  each  foot,  they  do  not  appear  to  the  casual  observer, 
as  the  feet  themselves  are  scarcely  broader  than  the  legs ; 
the  joints  of  the  two  hinder  of  which,  unlike  those  of  the 
horse,  &c.,  bend  forwards  like  the  joint  of  the  human  knee. 
His  neck  is  so  thick  and  short,  that  he  is  compelled  to  turn 
rotmd  to  look  behind  him ;  his  forehead  is  broad  and  high, 
his  back  somewhat  arched,  ending  in  rather  an  abrupt 
elope  towards  the  tail,  at  the  end  of  which  is  a  long  tuft  of 
nair.  His  weapons  of  defence  are  his  tusks  and  proboscis, 
»r  trunk ;  the  former  proceeding  from  the  upper  jaw,  ai\t 


lis  THE     ELEPHANT. 

extending  to  the  length  of  from  three  to  five  or  six  ieet, 
curve  upwards  from  the  roots  to  the  points.  They  some- 
times become  so  inconvenient  to  him  from  tlieir  weight, 
that  he  is  fain  to  rest  them  upon  anything  he  can  piace 
them  on. 

But  it  is  the  trunk  of  this  animal  that  forms  his  chief 
external  peculiarity,  and  with  which  he  can  not  only  defend 
himself  in  the  most  effectual  manner,  but  administer  to  his 
necessities  with  the  greatest  ease  and  convenience.  This 
trunk  is  not  only  an  organ  of  smell,  but  of  touch  or  feeling, 
also ;  and  in  both  these  senses  the  Elephant  is  particularly 
delicate.  It  is  a  lengthened  pipe,  composed  of  nerves  and 
muscles,  with  an  infernal  division  of  flesh  which  forms  two 
nostrils :  the  under  part  is  covered  with  projecting  particles 
which  strengthen  the  firmness  of  its  grasp ;  and  at  the  ex- 
treme end  is  an  extension  of  a  {ew  inches  long  which  an- 
swers every  purpose  of  a  finger;  by  which  the  creature  can 
pick  up  the  most  minute  objects,  whether  round  or  flat, 
and  can  readily  take  a  sixpence  or  a  pin  from  the  ground. 
He  can  bend  this  trunk  in  all  directions,  and  by  it  he 
conveys  both  food  and  drink  into  his  mouth. 

His  whole  body  is  encased  in  a  very  thick  hide,  which 
has  been,  not  unaptly,  compared  in  appearance  to  the  bark 
of  an  old  tree.  It  is  not  covered  with  hair  (although  there 
are  some  exceptions)  like  the  skins  of  other  animals ;  and 
he  seems,  when  in  confinement,  from  the  awkwardness  of 
his  gait,  as  though  he  were  in  a  suit  of  mail,  which  does 


THE     ELEPHANT.  119 

toot  allow  him  lo  move  with  freedom.  Incrustations  which 
frequently  appear  upon  the  skin  are  attended  to  by  his 
keeper,  who  rubs  the  parts  with  oil  and  adopts  other  means 
of  affording  him  relief. 

His  eyes,  though  remarkably  small  in  proportion  to  his 
bulk,  are  nevertheless  quick,  vivacious,  and  expressive  of 
his  passions ;  but  his  ears  are  extremely  large,  and  hang 
down  like  two  handkerchiefs;  indeed  he  may  be  almost  said 
to  use  them  as  such,  since  he  moves  them  so  that  they  pro- 
tect his  eyes  from  insects  or  dust.  His  colour  is  a  dirty 
ash,  or  slate,  sometimes  approaching  to  black ;  and  although 
a  native  of  both  Asia  and  Africa,  it  is  in  the  former  only 
where  he  attains  to  the  largest  growth ;  where  he  is  the 
most  highly  valued,  and  where  he  has  exchanged  his  native 
wilderness  and  the  freedom  of  nature,  to  become  the  edu- 
cated and  obedient  slave  of  man.  In  Africa  no  pains  have 
been  taken  to  reduce  him  to  a  state  of  servitude,  where  he 
is  dreaded  only  for  his  devastations  on  the  lands  of  the 
husbandman  ;  since,  where  a  troop  of  Elephants  appear,  the 
effects  of  industry  are  quickly  destroyed,  and  whole  planta- 
tions at  once  devoured  and  trampled  under  foot. 

We  have  said  the  Elephant  conveys  both  his  food  and 
drink  into  his  mouth  with  his  trunk,  which  he  thus  uses  as 
a  hand.  With  this  he  strips  the  leaves  and  fruit  from  trees, 
culls  his  favourite  blossoms,  plants,  and  roots,  and  turning 
ti.e  ends  of  it  into  his  mouth,  he  therein  receives  the  herbage 
previously   collected.     He  also   sucks  up   water  into   his 


ISII  THE     ELEPHANT. 

trunk,  which  he  then  in  like  manner  turns  into  his  mouth, 
and  blows  down  his  throat.  He  is  an  excellent  swimmer, 
and  is  fond  of  bathing  in  rivers,  into  which  he  will  dive  and 
remain  a  considerable  time  under  water,  the  end  of  his  trunk 
only  appearing  above  the  surface  of  the  stream,  to  allow  of 
his  breatliing.  We  have  seen  these  animals  thus  engaged 
when  no  part  of  them  could  be  discerned  but  a  few  inches 
of  their  trunks.  He  also  frequently  uses  it  to  spnut  forth 
water,  previously  drawn  up,  over  his  body,  to  drive  away 
the  flies  from  such  parts  of  it  as  are  not  callous  to  their  at- 
tacks ;  and  for  which  purpose  we  have  also  seen  him  col- 
lect a  quantity  of  dust  which  he  would  blow  out  of  his  trunk 
to  effect  the  same  object ;  he  will  also  use  the  branch  of  a 
tree  as  a  sort  of  fan  to  protect  himself  from  the  annoyance 
of  insects.  He  is  a  long-lived  animal,  and  is  about  twenty 
years  in  arriving  at  his  full  growth. 

There  has  been  much  doubt  expressed  as  to  whether  a 
calf  Elephant  sucks  through  its  trunk,  in  the  same  way  in 
which  it  takes  in  water ;  but  the  trunk  is  not  used  for  that 
purpose,  the  young  one  sucking  with  its  mouth,,  using  its 
trunk  only  upon  such  occasions  to  compress  the  udder, 
which  in  the  female  Elephant  is  situated  between  the  fore 
Jegs.  The  calf  is  very  playful  when  young,  and  its  mother 
is  ever  ready  to  defend  it  with  the  utmost  vigour  and  ajfeo 
lion. 


THE     ELEPHANT.  121 

ILLUSTRATIVE   ANECDOTES. 

We  give  the  following  as  v/e  received  them  *rom  an  Ele- 
phant-catcher, and  afterwards  mahout,  or  driver. 

The  Elephant,  in  a  wild  state,  is  never  the  first  to  seek 
an  enemy,  although  of  determined  courage  when  attacked, 
and  persevering  in  his  resentment  of  aggression.  These 
animals  roam  the  forests  in  troops,  the  young  and  weak  pro- 
tected by  the  stronger ;  and,  in  s«  eking  their  subsistence,  ic 
is  only  to  their  master,  man,  to  vhom  they  prove  an  in- 
jury; since  whenever  one  of  them  happens  to  enter  a  planta- 
tion it  immediately  calls  the  rest  to  sha'-e  in  its  good  fortune, 
when,  as  said  above,  cultivation  is  destroyed ;  and  if  resist- 
ance be  offered  to  them  a  fatal  vengeance  is  sure  to  follow ; 
since  they  would  not  rest  content  with  overthrowing  habita- 
tions, but  the  lives  of  their  occupants  would  pay  the  forfeit 
of  their  temerity. 

As  it  better  answers  the  purpose  to  catch  them  when 
full-grown  than  to  breed  them,  every  individual  Elephant 
employed  for  domestic  service  has  to  be  first  captured  from 
the  forest.  To  effect  this  object  a  space  of  ground  is  en- 
closed by  strong  piles,  or  posts,  at  short  distances  from 
each  other,  and  this  enclosed  space  runs  so  narrow  at  one 
end  as  to  allow  only  one  Elephant  to  pass  through  it  a*  a  tima, 
A  tame  one,  well  trained  to  the  business,  is  then  sent  into 
the  forest,  where  it  utters  a  cry  of  invitation  to  the  yet  m- 
subdued  of  its  race  ;  and  the  first  which  is  decoyed  by  it  is 
8 


m  THE     ELEPHANT. 

led  through  the  enclosure  by  its  tame  guide  until  it  passea 
through  the  narrow  part,  which  is  then  closed  upon  it  by 
men  previously  stationed  to  secure  it.  On  finding  itself 
thus  l<etrayed,  and  a  prisoner,  its  rage  is  at  first  excessive ; 
but  as  it  is  ineffectual,  it  at  length  bcconr)es  exhausted,  when 
art  is  tried  to  soothe  it  into  submission.  Two  other  Ele- 
phants are  introduced  to  the  captive  to  assist  ni  instructinjs; 
it,  and  which,  if  it  still  prove  refractory,  they  accomplish  by 
each  of  them  taking  (to  use  the  language  of  our  informant) 
"a  fathom  or  two  of  chain  and  giving  it  a  good  thrashing." 
The  great  docility,  however,  which  is  inherent  in  this  gene- 
rous creature,  quickly  induces  him  to  submit,  when  he  be- 
comes as  obedient  and  as  strongly  attached  to  those  who 
control  him  as  his  fellows. 

In  proof  of  the  sagacity  of  the  Elephant  in  recollecting 
a  promise,  the  mahout  (as  above)  related  the  following  cir- 
cumstance. Attached  to  the  Indian  army  when  on  its 
inarch,  they  had  to  overcome  several  intricate  and  danger- 
ous passes,  in  one  of  which,  he  said,  the  carriage  of  a  gun 
completely  stuck,  gun  and  all ;  and  which  only-  an  Ele- 
phant could  remove.  Our  mahout  urged  his  own  animal  to 
make  the  necessary  exertion  to  draw  out  the  gun ;  and 
promised,  if  he  did  so,  that  he  should  have  a  good  allow- 
ance of  grog,  to  which  he  was  very  partial ;  and  thua 
encouraged,  the  creature  after  some  labour  cleared  the  gun. 

It  was  not  long  afterwards  that  a  similar  accident  occur- 
red ;  and  the  same  desire  was  repeated  to  the  Elephant  as 


THE    ELEPHANT.  123 

before,  with  a  promise  of  a  larger  portion  of  grog  than  on 
tha  former  occasion  if  he  would,  this  time,  extricate  the 
gun ;  but  the  animal  turned  a  deaf  ear  both  to  entreaties 
and  promises  (since  it  is  to  be  remembered  he  clearly  com- 
prehended the  meaning  of  both),  and  threats  were  resorted 
to  by  the  exasperated  mahout.  At  length,  the  Elephant 
became  as  angry  as  his  driver ;  and  approaching  the  half 
prostrate  gun-carriage,  he  placed  his  foot  upon  it  and  turn- 
ed it  completely  over.  The  mahout  had  neglected  to  give 
him  the  grog  which  had  been  previously  promised,  and  the 
animal  adopted  this  most  effectual  means  of  reminding 
him  of  it. 

The  Elephant  in  a  wild  state  is,  as  already  observed,  a 
dangerous  enemy  to  attack,  not  only  from  its  strength,  but 
from  the  number  of  them  which  herd  together ;  and  it  is 
only  an  occasional  straggler  that  the  lion  or  tiger  cares  to 
engage  with.  In  hunting  the  two  latter,  the  Elephant  is 
used  by  oriental  sportsmen,  when  he  evinces  an  almost  in- 
stinctive terror  of  these  creatures.  Father  Tachard  speaks 
of  a  combat  between  three  Elephants  and  a  Tiger,  of  which 
he  was  an  eye-witness  at  Siam ;  where,  for  the  amusement 
of  the  king,  they  were  brought  to  engage.  The  heads  of 
the  Elephants  were  defended  by  a  sort  of  masks,  and  they 
were  allowed  to  strike  the  tiger  several  times  before  it  was 
loosed  from  the  cords  which  confined  it ;  and  after  it  had 
been  thus  weakened  it  sprang  at  the  trunk  of  one  of  its  as- 
sailants, which  the  Elephant  curling  up,  received  the  crea« 


fU  THE     ELEPHANT. 

Jure  on  its  tusks  and  tossed  it  into  the  air.  The  three  EHe. 
phants  were  then  set  upon  it,  neither  of  them  as  it  appeared 
being  a  match  for  tlie  tiger  alone. 

It  would  scarcely  be  credited  with  what  extreme  caution 
the  Elephants  will  move  about  on  a  dark  night,  lest  they 
should  injure  any  of  the  soldiers  of  the  army  to  which  they 
aie  attached.  While  the  men  lie  sleeping  on  their  guns  in 
the  open  air,  the  Elephants  feel  all  about  with  their 
trunks,  ere  they  will  take  a  step,  lest  they  might  tread  upon 
any  one. 

Captain  Mundy,  in  speaking  of  his  entrance  into  Luck- 
now,*  tells  Us  tYiat  "  In  some  of  the  narrow  passes  the  crush 
was  awful  ;  the  Elephants  trumpeting,  jhools  and  ladders 
tearing  and  crashing;  and  now-and-then  the  projecting 
ro</  or  verandah  of  a  house  carried  away  by  the  resistless 
progress  of  these  powerful  animals.  The  strongest  Ele- 
phants and  most  determined  mahouts,  held  the  first  places 
in  the  cavalcade,  next  to  the  king,  the  commander-in-chief, 
and  the  resident.  The  princes  royal  were  not  un frequently 
most  unceremoniously  jostled ;  and  as  for  the  minister,  he 
was  generally  among  the  '  unplaced,' "  and  yet,  where 
"  princes  were  jostlecf'  by  the  movements  of  a  troop  of  do- 
mestic Elephants,  not  one  of  them  but  was  careful  of  doing 
personal  injury  to  the  wretched  beggars  who  mingled  with 
them. 

•  Lucknow  is  the  capital  of  Oude,  a  province  of  Hindoostwi,  and 
■itoate  on  the  river  Goomty. 


THE     ELEPHANT.  135 

"  The  streets  of  Lucknow,"  says  Captain  Mundy,  "  arc 
extremely  narrow ;  so  much  so,  as  in  some  places  scarcely 
to  admit  more  than  one  Elephant  to  pass  at  a  time.  The 
houses,  from  the  windows  of  which  were  displayed  silks 
and  draperies,  were,  as  well  as  the  streets,  completely  co- 
vered with  spectators ;  some  of  them  employed  in  greeting 
their  sovereign  with  profound  salaams ;  the  greater  propor- 
tion, however,  consisting  of  wretched-looking  beggars,  wh 
followed  the  cavalcade,  vociferating  for  charity,  and  greedily 
scrambling  for  the  handfuls  of  rupees  which  were,  from 
time  to  time,  thrown  by  the  king,  the  commander-in-chief, 
and  the  resident,  among  the  crowd.  It  was  curious  to  see 
with  what  care  the  Elephants  avoided  treading  upon  or  in- 
juring some  of  these  paupers,  who,  in  eager  pursuit  of  the 
scattered  largess,  fearlessly  threw  themselves  under  the  feet 
of  these  atiimals,  the  slightest  touch  of  which  would  have 
shattered  a  limb." 

During  an  exhibition  of  wild  animals  by  Waring  & 
Co.,  in  the  winter  of  1847-8,  in  Philadelphia,  a  scene  of 
tragic  interest  occurred,  showing  the  disposition  of  the 
Elephant  when  aroused  to  resent  an  injury.  The  keeper 
William  Kelly,  of  New  York,  whose  acquaintance  with 
Columbus  was  only  short,  was  employed  after  one  o'clock 
in  paring  his  feet  and  otherwise  preparing  him  for  exhi- 
bition in  the  afternoon,  —  when,  the  animal  becoming 
restive,  Kelly  left  him  and  procured  a  fork  with  which  to 
chastise  him ;  but  the  sagacious  animal,  seeing  him  return- 


126  THEELEPHANT. 

mg  with  the  weapon,  screeched,  and  instantly  seized  hin* 
with  his  extended  trunk  and  threw  him  twice  into  the  air, 
and  then  lefl  him,  foaming  with  rage.  He  instantly 
knocked  down  the  cages  in  which  were  a  hyaena  and  a 
wolf,  both  of  which  escaped  therefrom,  and  ran  several 
times  round  the  ring  before  they  were  captured  and  secured, 
which  was  done  without  any  injury  to  the  persons  who 
performed  that  daring  and  dangerous  act  —  the  animals 
being  dreadfully  alarmed  at  the  screeches  of  Columbus 
and  his  ungovernable  fury.  It  was  truly  a  fearful  time ; 
for  all  the  animals,  from  the  King  of  the  Forest  down  to 
the  most  insignificant  reptiles,  were  struck  with  conster- 
nation and  awe,  and  each  gave  vent,  in  its  own  peculiar 
manner,  to  the  dread  that  pervaded  it. 

This  noble  Elephant,  seeing  Mr.  Waring  and  his  men 
taking  measures  to  secure  him,  rushed  towards  them,  when 
they  escaped  up  the  seats  for  the  audience,  partly  followed 
by  him ;  but  he  was  compelled  to  withdraw,  as  the  flooring 
and  seats  gave  way  under  his  ponderous  weight.  Mr. 
Driesbach,  Mr.  Waring,  and  others,  then  obtained  a  cable, 
which  was  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  ring ;  and  finally, 
after  much  manceuvring,  they  succeeded  in  noosing  him  by 
the  legs.  They  then  retreated  towards  the  southerly 
corner  of  the  menagerie,  where  the  animal  followed  them ; 
managing  to  elude  him,  they,  after  great  efforts,  and 
striknig  him  very  severely  with  pitchforks,  got  iron 
manacles  on  his  legs.     At  length  they  got  him  into  the 


THE    RHINOCEROS.  12i 

middle  of  the  ring.  He  was  then  apparently  humbled, 
having  bled  profusely  and  suffered  considerably.  He  tore 
up  and  broke  all  the  seats  in  the  ring  that  came  within  his 
reach,  with  as  much  ease  as  if  they  had  been  merely 
pipe-stems. 

The  unfortunate  keeper,  Kelly,  had  his  right  hip  and 
thigh  dreadfully  fractured.  He  was  conveyed  to  his  lodg- 
ings, where  his  leg  was  amputated  two  hours  afterwards. 
Two  or  three  d&ys  after,  he  died  from  the  effects  of  the 
injuries  received.  The  animal  is  still  living,  and,  under 
the  treatment  of  his  old  keeper,  who  was  sent  for  by  the 
proprietors,  seems  perfectly  tractable,  and  performs  his 
usual  round  of  daily  duties. 


THE  RHINOCEROS.* 

The  Rhinoceros  is,  in  bullc,  the  next  quadruped  in  size 
to  an  ordinary  elephant,  but  with  shorter  legs.  The  length 
of  its  body  is  about  from  ten  to  twelve  feet.  Its  head  is 
somewhat  in  shape  like  that  of  the  hog,  except  towards 
the  snout ;  and,  like  the  hog,  it  is  fond  of  wallowing  in 
swampy  places,  of  eating  roots  and  shrubs,  and  of  living 
•azily  and  at  peace,  if  unmolested.     It  is  protected  by  a 

•  Bhinoeeros  ia  the  Latin  appellation  for  this  animal.  * 


128  THE     RHINOCEROS. 

hard  skin,  of  a  dirty  brown  colour,  which,  over  its  neck^ 
shoulders,  and  hind-quarters,  appears  in  folds,  like  coats 
of  mail,  and  would  resist  a  bullet.  Its  tail  is  rather 
ineagre ;  the  legs  are  muscular  and  thick,  and  the  hoofs 
are  divided  into  triple  points. 

We  have  said  that  the  appearance  of  its  head  is  some- 
what like  that  of  the  hog ;  but  the  upper  lip  is  much  longer 
than  the  under  one,  and  terminates  in  a  point.  Its  eyes 
are  small,  and  so  placed  that  it  can  only  see  in  a  direct  line, 
and  not  on  either  side ;  its  ears  are  pointed  and  erect,  and 
its  scent  acute.  His  snout  is  rather  broad,  and  furnished 
with  a  horn  (sometimes  with  two),  which,  so  advantageous- 
ly placed,  renders  him  a  potent  enemy  to  contend  with,  and 
a  match  for  any  beast  of  the  forest. 

The  Rhinoceros  is  a  native  both  of  Africa  and  Asia,  and 
of  which  there  are,  at  least,  four  varieties ;  two  of  these 
being  provided  with  one  horn  only,  the  others  with  two. 
He  is  fond,  we  have  said,  of  herbage ;  but  "  besides  tno 
tree,"  says  Bruce,  "  capable-  of  most  resistance,  there  are 
in  the  vast  forests,  during  the  rains,  trees  of  a  softer  con- 
sistence, and  of  a  very  juicy  quality,  which  seem  to  be 
destined  for  its  principal  food.  For  the  purpose  of  gaining 
the  highest  branches  of  these,  his  upper  lip  is  capable  of 
being  lengthened  out,  so  as  to  increase  his  power  of  laying 
hold  with  it,  in  the  same  manner  as  an  elephant  does  with 
his  trunk.  With  this  lip,  and  the  assistance  of  his  tongue, 
he  pulls  down  the  upper  branches  which  have  most  leave*, 


THE    RHINOCEROS.  129 

and  these  he  devours  first.  Having  stripped  the  tree  of  its 
branches,  he  does  not  abandon  it ;  but,  placing  his  snout  as 
low  in  the  trunk  as  he  finds  his  horn  will  enter,  he  rips  up 
the  body  of  the  tree ;  and  when  he  has  thus  prepared  it,  he 
embraces  as  much  of  it  as  he  can  in  his  monstrous  jaws, 
and  twists  it  round  with  as  much  ease  as  an  ox  would  do  a 
root  of  celery. 

The  hunters,  when  in  pursuit  of  the  Rhinoceros,  are 
careful  in  approaching  him  on  the  leeward  side,  lest  he 
should  discover  them  by  the  scent.  Indeed,  we  see  no  just 
cause  to  disbelieve  those  travellers  who  have  asserted  that 
the  lion  and  tiger  are  less  inclined  to  cope  with  this  formi- 
dable creature,  than  with  any  other  inhabitant  of  the  forest. 
When  roused,  he  is  more  active  than  the  elephant,  and  de- 
fends himself  more  effectively.  In  a  combat  between  these 
two  animals,  which  were  let  loose  upon  each  other  for  the 
diversion  of  Emanuel,*  king  of  Portugal,  the  Rhinoceros 
conquered  his  opponent ;  and  we  are  assured  that  such  is 
generally  the  case  when  they  singly  engage. 

The  natural  fierceness  attributed  to  the  Rhinoceros  by 
some  writers  is  imaginary ;  since,  unless  first  provoked  or 
pressed  by  hunger,  he  is  inoffensive,  either  in  a  wild  or  an 
artificial  state.  We  have  seen  several  living  specimens,  all 
of  which  corroborate  the  assertion. 

•Surnamed  "The  Great."  He  ascended  the  throne  A.  D.  M95| 
his  captains  sailed  to  Hindoostan  and  Brazil. 


180  THE     CAMEL. 


Cameli's— THE  CAMEL. 


The  Camel  and  Dromedary  being  two  varieties  of  the 
same  genus,  as  such  we  shall  speak  of  them  under  the 
present  head. 

The  Bactrian*  Camel  has  two  humps,  is  chiefly  met  with 
ID  the  countries  of  the  Levant,  and  is  much  larger  and 
stronger  than  the  Arabian  Camel,  or  Dromedary ;  it  has 
shorter  legs,  and  is  capable  of  carrying  a  much  greater 
weight;  its  burden  not  unfrequentiy  being  nine  or  ten  hun- 
dred pounds.  The  lean  swift  Arabian  Camel,  called 
Maherry,  or  el  Hierie,  is  used  for  despatch  ;  and  will,  we 
are  assured,  travel  one  hundred  miles  in  a  day  for  several 
days  together.  The  services  of  this  creature,  however,  are 
confined  to  a  comparatively  narrow  sphere ;  since  it  is  the 
Dromedary  which  is  employed  throughout  the  deserts  of 
Arabia,  Persia,  a  large  portion  of  Africa,  Hindoostan,  and 
China.  He  is  of  a  lighter  form,  with  longer  legs  than  the 
other ;  and  although  he  cannot  carry  so  heavy  a  burthen, 
he  is  nevertheless  more  fleet,  and  will  carry  a  load  of  six 
or  seven  hundred  pounds. 

He  has  one  hump  only  ;  but  as  already  observed,  is  the 

*  Bactria,  or  Bactriana,  was  the  ancient  name  for  that  province  of 
Fsrsia  now  called  Sablestan,  the  capital  of  which  is  Bost,  about  thirty 
miles  south  of  Candahar. 


THE     CAMJCL.  131 

animal  in  most  general  requisition  by  all  who  have  occa« 
sion  to  traverse  the  burning  plains  of  the  desert. 

The  Camel  is  nowhere  to  be  found  in  a  state  of  nature ; 
but  is,  in  all  places  where  he  is  known,  a  patient  drudge. 
What  the  deer  is  to  the  Laplander,  the  Cainel  is  to  the 
Arab ;  nor  could  either,  perhaps,  continue  to  exist,  in  fheir 
respective  inhospitable  regions  of  freezing  cold  and  burning 
heat,  but  for  the  bountiful  care  of  Providence  in  furnishing 
them  with  such  animals  as  they  possess ;  and  which,  in 
themselves,  not  only  supply  all  their  necessities,  but  convey 
them  from  one  place  to  another,  in  climates  where  no  other 
creatures  could  thus  aid  them. 

The  flesh  of  the  Camel,  when  young,  is  eaten  by  the 
Arabs,  and  is  said  to  be  as  dehcate  as  veal ;  its  milk  is 
plentiful  and  nourishing,  and  when  fermented  produces  a 
spirituous  liquor;  its  skin  is  applied  to  many  useful  pur- 
poses ;  and  its  hair,  which  is  shed  annually,  is  of  a  more 
delicate  texture  than  the  finest  wool ; — even  its  dung  is  use- 
ful, both  for  fuel  and  as  a  litter  for  horses. 

The  average  height  of  the  Arabian  Camel  is  about  five 
feet  six  inches  from  the  top  of  the  shoulder  to  the  hoof,  and  he 
is  about  nine  or  ten  feet  in  length.  His  hump  is  placed 
more  in  the  centre  of  his  back  than  are  either  of  the  two 
of  the  larger  kind  ;  and,  with  longer  legs,  his  body  also  ap- 
pears smaller  and  thinner  than  the  other :  he  is  covered 
with  hair,  which  is  very  long  about  the  neck,  the  neck 
jtself  being  long  and  crooked ;  the  head  is  small,  and  some- 


132  THE    CAMEL. 

what  resembling  that  of  the  sheep ;  while  his  foot  is  Droad 
and  flat,  which  spreads  as  he  places  it  on  the  ground,  giv- 
ing firmness  to  his  tread  upon  the  loose  sands  that  he  i? 
compelled  to  traverse.  His  colour  varies,  being  of  a  light 
brown,  white,  and  sometimes  almost  black. 

The  Camel  ruminates ;  but,  in  addition  to  the  four 
stomachs  of  which  we  have  spoken,  as  possessed  by  the 
ox  and  other  animals  that  chew  the  cud,  the  Camel  has  a 
fifth,  which  is  composed  of  small  hollow  spaces.  This 
stomach  he  fills  with  water,  which  will  supply  him  for 
many  days ;  since  he  can  cast  it  from  each  of  the  hollow 
spaces,  singly,  by  which  means  he  is  furnished  from  his 
own  resources  with  a  moistening  liquid,  that  enables  him 
to  pursue  his  fatiguing  journey  where  any  other  beast 
would  perish. 

Nothing  can  exceed  the  temperance,  patience,  and  perse- 
verance of  the  Camel.  He  often  fasts  for  several  days 
together ;  eats  sparingly,  and  of  the  coarsest  food ;  and  is 
often  the  surest  guide  across  the  desert,  even  to  those 
engaged  to  conduct  him — by  whom  he  is  expressively 
called  "  the  ship  of  the  desert." 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

Camels,  when  very  young,  are  taught  to  lie  down  and 
lo  nse,  preparatory  to  their  bearing  heavy  burdens,  which 
Ihey  afterwards  kneel  down  to  receive  upon  their  backs. 


THECAMEL.  133 

Their  legs  are  first  bent  under  their  bellies  by  their  drivers, 
who  load  them  by  degrees,  according  to  their  strength. 
They  will  journey  the  day  throughout,  loaded,  at  the  rate 
of  about  three  miles  an  hour,  according  to  Macfarlane, — 
who  says,  that  in  the  flat  valleys  he  has  calculated  their 
pace  with  a  watch  iu  his  hand,  and  found  that  they  did  not 
vary  in  their  speed  during  the  whole  day,  but  went  on  at 
the  same  rate  at  the  end  as  at  the  beginning.  We  have, 
however,  seen  them  considerably  exceed  this  pace,  bearing 
heavy  loads.  We  have  watched  them  while  refreshing 
themselves  in  a  stream  before  they  started  on  their  journey; 
and,  although  they  proceeded  at  an  easy  pace,  their  drivers 
moved  at  the  rate  of  four  miles  an  hour,  at  the  least,  in 
keeping  up  with  them. 

The  Camel,  as  observed,  can  sustain  a  long  abstinence ; 
during  which  period  his  hump  decreases  in  substance, 
nourishing  his  body.  A  young  one,  while  it  is  suckled, 
is  without  the  hump,  as  it  then  receives  sufficient  for  its 
support.  Although  straightened  for  food,  the  Camel  still 
labours  for  his  master;  but  if  he  overload  him,  the  creature 
will  not  rise  until  his  burden  be  lightened. 

Sonnini  says  that  he  has  seen  Camels  resent  the  im- 
patience of  their  riders  by  stopping  short,  uttering  cries  of 
rage,  and  turning  round  their  long  necks  to  bite  them. 
In  these  circumstances  the  man  must  be  careful  not  to 
alight,  or  he  would  infallibly  be  torn  to  pieces.  He  must 
also  refrain  from  striking  his  beast,  as  that  would  mcrcase 


131  THE     CAMEL. 

his  fury.  Nothing  can  be  done  but  to  have  patience,  and 
appease  the  animal  by  patting  him  with  tlie  hand, — which 
frequently  requires  some  time,  wlien  he  will  resume  his 
wonted  pace  of  himself. 

Neither  Turk  nor  Arab  usually  ill  treat  these  excellent 
animab,  but  often  caress  and  pet  them ;  yet,  in  Asia 
Minor,  Camel-fights  are  still  exhibited  for  the  amusement 
of  the  vulgar.  The  combatants  are,  however,  muzzled, 
since  their  bite  is  so  severe  that  they  nip  out  a  piece  of  the 
flesh  when  enraged.  These  combats  take  olace  in  an  open 
space,  where  the  animals  are  urged  to  the  attack,  in  which 
they  strike  each  other  with  their  heads,  sideways,  entwine 
their  necks,  and  wrestle  with  their  fore-legs,  somewhat 
resembling  human  contests  of  sti-cngth  and  agility.  In- 
deed, the  object  appears  to  be  in  both  cases  alike  to  throw 
down  an  adversary ;  the  crowd  cheering  and  triumphing 
in  the  success  of  their  respective  favourites. 

The  Arab  on  his  trusty  Camel  fears  not,  and  defies  the 
pursuit  of  his  enemy,  though  the  latter  should  be  mounted 
on  the  fleetest  courser,  and  flies  to  the  security  afforded  by 
his  dreary  solitude. 

To  the  Camel,  the  merchants  and  other  travellers  who 
are  compelled  to  cross  the  desert  intrust  their  property 
and  lives;  since  on  his  patience  and  constancy  the  safety 
of  both,  under  Providence,  depend.  This  assemblage  cf 
travellers  is  called  a  Caravan;  and  is  sometimes  composed 
of  many  thousands  of  persons,  and  Camels  which  convey 


THfi     LLAMA'.  13^ 

them  and  their  goods.  They  proceed  thus  up«.m  their 
journey  in  large  companies,  as  a  more  cei'tain  protection 
against  the  attacks  of  the  Bedouins,  or  robbers  of  the 
desert.  The  Camels  follow  each  other  in  long  lines,  each 
of  which  is  often  headed  by  a  man  on  an  ass,  with  a  bell 
round  its  neck ;  many  of  the  Camels  also  have  bells  ap. 
pended  to  their  saddles,  without  which  those  accustomed 
to  their  music  would  not  go  forward.  They  thus  proceed 
until  they  arrive  at  their  stations  in  the  evening ;  which, 
when  they  can  be  obtained,  are  where  herbage  and  fresh 
water  are  to  be  had,  and  which  the  Camel  will  scent  at  a 
distance.  A  few  thistles  and  spear-like  leaves,  which 
would  lay  open  the  hand  but  to  touch,  are  preferred  by 
the  Camel,  when  they  are  to  be  found,  after  his  burden 
has  been  removed  for  the  nioht :  and  in  the  morninor  he 
obediently  kneels  down  again  to  receive  it,  and  to  pursue 
his  way  through  the  trackless  desert  under  a  burning  sun. 


THE  LLAMA. 


The  Llama  is  a  native  of  South  America,  and  is  called 
the  American  Camel,  to  the  services  of  which  the  in- 
habitants of  that  country  are  much  indebted,  although  it 
certainly  will  not  bear  a  comparison  with  the  camel  pro- 


136  THELLAMA. 

viously  described.  It  is  about  from  four  to  four-and-a-half 
feet  in  height,  from  the  hinder  part  of  the  back  (which 
forms  an  irregular  arch,  sloping  upwards  from  the  neck) 
to  the  hoof;  and  about  from  five  to  six  leet  in  length.  Its 
neck  is  long  and  graceful,  its  head  small ;  and  its  nostrils 
consist  of  a  slit  which  it  expands  and  closes  at  will,  and 
from  which,  when  offended,  it  darts  forth  quantities  of 
saliva,  or  spittle,  which  is  its  only  means  of  showing  its 
resentment.  The  hoofs  are  cloven,  the  tail  is  short,  and 
the  body  is  clothed  with  a  fine  wool.  Its  colour  varies 
from  brown  and  almost  black,  to  white. 

The  Llama  is  employed  by  the  inhabitants  of  Chili, 
Peru,  and  other  parts  of  South  America,  as  a  beast  of  bur- 
then;  and  will  carry  from  seventy  to  a  hundred  pounds 
weight.  Many  thousands  of  them  were  thus  employed  in 
removing  the  ore  from  the  mines  of  Potosi,  when  they 
were  in  full  operation.*  They  are  patient  and  temperate, 
requiring  little  or  no  attendance  of  their  masters ;  since, 
supplied  by  nature  with  sufficient  moisture,  they  will  go  a 
long  time  without  water,  gather  for  themselves  what  her- 
bage they  require,  wherever  they  may  chance  to  find  it,  and 
will  thus  travel  for  several  days  over  almost  inaccessible 
rocky  eminences  in  safety. 

At  night  the  Llama  chews  the  cud  ;  and  thus  he  proceeds 

*  Potosi  is  a  town  in  the  southern  division  of  Peru,  called  IiM 
Obarcos ;  it  contains  the  best  silver  mine  in  the  world. 


THE    LLAMA.  1 37 

until  completely  tired  out,  when  he  will  not  stir  another 
step,  but  lies  down  upon  his  belly,  and  makes  a  halt  for 
twenty  or  thirty  hours  together.  If  urged  by  his  driver 
upon  such  occasions,  he  will  not  be  compelled  to  resume 
his  labour  until  he  has  rested,  but  vehemently  spit  at  him  ?, 
of  which  those  who  have  the  direction  of  Llamas  are 
much  afraid,  attributing  to  the  saliva,  so  emitted,  a  poison- 
ous quality.  The  ladies  of  Peru  prefer  riding  upon  these 
gentle  creatures  to  any  other  animals,  in  consequence  of 
their  easy  action. 

This  useful  and  willing  servant  thrives  either  .'n  a  warm 
or  cold  climate;  and  in  a  wild  state  he  appears  ^o  be  ihe 
most  vigorous,  snuffing  up  the  pure  air  on  the  lofty  Andes,* 
where  they  feed  in  numerous  herds;  and  where,  like  the 
wild  horse  of  the  plain,  one  of  them  acts  as  a  sentinel  to 
warn  the  rest  of  approaching  danger,  when  they  start  off 
with  great  rapidity.  The  hunters  pursue  them  both  for 
their  flesh  and  wool ;  but  their  only  chance  of  success 
is  on  meeting  them  upon  the  plains ;  since,  if  they  once 
gain  the  mountains,  neither  man  nor  dog  can  follow  them, 
while  they  fearlessly  and  nimbly  gain  the  summit  of  pre- 
cipices with  the  agility  of  the  antelope. 

*  The  Andes,  or  Cordilleras,  are  an  immense  chain  of  mountains 
which  run  the  whole  length  of  the  western  coast  of  South  America, 
for  an  extent  of  4,300  miles.  The  highest  of  these  is  called  Chimbo- 
razo,  which  is  20,608  feet  high,  of  which  about  2,400  from  the  top  is 
always  covered  with  snow.  They  are  tiie  most  extensive  and  lofty 
mountains  in  the  world. 
9 


THE     ALPACA. 


THE  ALPACA. 


The  Alpaca,  or  Paco  as  it  was  called,  is  also  a  nat've 
of  South  America,  and  appears  to  possess  the  attributes  of 
ihe  Llama,  although  it  is  much  smaller,  and  has  more  wool 
of  n  superior  quality,  of  which  articles  are  manufactured 
that  obtain  a  high  price. 

We  have  seen  a  living  specimen  of  one  of  these  beauti- 
ful creatures,  which  was  partly  of  a  grayish  white  colour, 
and  partly  of  a  pale  pink.  So  beautiful  indeed,  is  the 
colour  of  their  wool  that  it  is  wrought  without  being  dyed. 

Cuvier  says  that  he  had  one  which  measured  four  feet 
lour  inches  to  the  summit  of  the  head;  three  feet  three 
inches  to  the  shoulders ;  and  three  feet  nine  inches  from 
the  breast  to  the  tail.  Its  neck  was  gray,  and  the 
breast,  Lack,  and  flank  brown.  It  spat,  and  bleated  like 
a  lamb :  and  the  hair  was  long  and  soft  like  that  of  the 
Angora  goat.  He  states  it  to  be  his  opinion  that  this  ani- 
mal might  be  introduced  into  the  domestic  establishments 
of  Europe  with  great  advantage,  on  account  of  the  ex- 
cellence both  of  its  flesh  and  wool. 

The  animals  of  this  kind  in  South  America,  called  Va- 
cunia,  or  Vicugna,  and  also  the  Guanaco,  are  of  the  same 
iund  as  the  two  last  described. 


THE     CAMELOPAS.D.  139 


CiMELOPABDALis— THE  CAMELOPARD. 

The  Camelopard,  or  Giraffe,  (from  the  Arabic,  Siraf,) 
although  known  to  the  ancients,  and  captured  for  the  pur- 
pose of  adding  to  the  barbarous  exhibitions  of  Rome,*  has 
-rarely  ever  been  introduced  into  the  United  States. 

The  height  of  the  male  Giraffe,  in  a  natural  state,  is 
about  eighteen  feet  from  the  hoof  to  the  top  of  the  head, 
whereon  he  has  two  small  erect  and  obtuse  protuberances,  like 
horns,  which  appear  to  be  covered  with  a  tough  skin.  The 
shape  of  his  head  is  somewhat  like  that  of  the  race-horse, 
yet  slender  as  the  stag's  ;  his  eye  is  dark  and  full ;  while  his 
tongue  is  so  peculiarly  formed  that  he  is  enabled  to  extend 
it  a  considerable  length  ;  and  by  encircling  with  it  the  tops 
of  the  light  branches  and  leaves  of  the  trees  upon  which  he 
feeds,  he  thus  obtains  the  chief  part  of  his  food.  His  neck, 
when  he  stands  erect,  is  graceful  and  swan-like ;  his  shoul- 
ders are  high,  and  fore  legs  very  long;  the  back  slopes 
downwards  from  the  bottom  of  the  neck  to  the  insertion  of 
the  tail,  which  is  thin,  with  a  tuft  at  the  end.  The  fore  legs 
are  about  two-fifths  of  the  creature's  height,  since  they 

*  Pompey,  the  triumvir  with  Crassus  and  Caesar,  had  fen  of  these 
ar.imals  at  one  time   exhibited  at  the   theatre,  where  wild  oreaturca 
were  let  loose  upon  each  other.     Pompey  was  defeated  by  Julius  Cae- 
sar, at  Pharsalia,  from  whence  he  retired  to  Egypt,  where  he  was  slaiij 
B.  C.  47,  in  the  59th  year  of  his  age. 


14ft  THE    CAMELOPARD. 

were  just  six  feet  in  one  which  was  fifteen  feet  high,  as 
measured  by  Mr.  John  Campbell.  The  female  is  smaller 
than  the  male,  but  to  both  sexes  the  horns,  as  noticed 
above,  are  common. 

The  body  of  the  Giraffe  is  remarkably  short,  according 
to  its  extreme  height,  and  is  not  the  length  of  the  neck 
from  the  top  of  the  shoulder  to  the  tail  ;  the  legs  are  slender 
and  have  a  tuft  of  hair  on  the  knees ;  the  hoofs  are  hard 
and  cloven,  like  those  of  other  animals  that  chew  the  cud ; 
and  the  colour  of  the  skin  is  a  light  ash,  or  dun,  marked 
all  over  with  dusky  red, or  chocolate-coloured  spots.  In  their 
native  solitudes  they  are  hunted  by  the  Arabs  for  their  flesh 
(which  is  good  eating)  and  their  skins.  They  fly  from  the 
least  noise,  and  ascend  a  precipice  with  the  swiftness  and 
security  of  the  goat,  the  hoofs  of  both  being  similarly 
formed ;  but  though  ever  ready  to  retreat,  yet,  if  closely 
pressed,  this  timid  creature  then  uses  its  hoofs  in  its  defence 
with  the  rapidity  of  lightning,  and  often  not  withbut  effect. 

M.  Thibaut  (in  a  letter  dated  the  2d  of  January,  1836) 
says,  "  I  availed  myself  of  the  emulation  which  prevailed 
among  the  Arabs ;  and  as  the  season  was  far  advanced  and 
favourable,  I  proceeded  immediately  to  Kordofun.*  It  was 
on  the  15th  of  August,  1834,  that  I  saw  the  first  two  Gi- 
raffes     A  rapid  chase  on  horses  accustomed  to  the  fatigues 


*  Kordofan  is  a  country  of  Africa  lying  to  the  westward  of  NubiSi 
or  Sennaar. 


THE     CAMELOPAKD.  141 

of  rtie  desert,  put  us  in  possession,  at  the  end  of  three 
hours,  of  the  largest  of  the  two ;  the  mother  of  one  of 
those  now  in  my  charge.  Unable  to  take  her  alive,  the 
Arabs  killed  her  with  the  blows  of  the  sabre,  and  cutting 
her  to  pieces,  carried  the  meat  to  the  head-quarters,  which 
we  had  established  in  a  wooded  situation  ;  an  arrangement 
necessary  to  our  own  comfort,  and  to  secure  pasturage  for 
■  he  camels  of  both  sexes  which  we  had  brought  with  us  in 
aid  of  the  object  of  our  chase.  We  deferred  until  the 
morrow  the  pursuit  of  the  young  Giraffe,  which  my  com- 
panions assured  me  they  would  have  no  difficulty  in  again 
discovering.'* 

On  the  following  morning  the  party  started  at  daybreak, 
•  and  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,"  says  M .  Thibaut, 
"  I  had  the  happiness  to  find  myself  in  possession  of  the 
Giraffe."  He  is  silent  as  to  the  means  adopted  in  its  cap- 
ture, but  says  "  a  premium  was  given  to  the  hunter  whose 
horse  first  came  up  with  the  animal  ;  the  chase  having 
been  "pursued  through  brambles  and  thorny  trees," 

He  thus  proceeds: — "Possessed  of  this  Giraffe,  it  was 
necessary  to  rest  for  three  or  four  days  in  order  to  render 
it  sufficiently  tame.  During  this  period  an  Arab  holds  it 
at  the  end  of  a  long  cord.  By  degrees  it  becomes  accus- 
tomed to  the  presence  of  man,  and  takes  a  little  nourish- 
ment. To  furnish  milk  for  it,  I  had  brought  with  me  female 
camels.     It  became  gradually  resigned  to  its  condition,  and 


143  THE     CAMELOPARD. 

was  soon  willing  to  follow,  in  short  stages,  the  route  of  our 
caravan. 

"  The  first  Giraffe,  captured  at  four  days'  journey  to  the 
south-west  of  Kordofan,  will  enable  us  to  form  some  judg- 
ment  as  to  its  probable  age  at  present,  as  I  have  observed 
its  growth  and  its  mode  of  life.  When  it  first  came  into 
my  hands,  it  was  necessary  to  insert  a  finger  into  its 
mouth,  in  order  to  deceive  it  into  a  belief  that  the  nipple 
of  its  dam  was  there ;  then  it  sucked  freely.  According 
to  the  opinion  of  the  Arabs,  and  to  the  length  of  time  that  I 
have  had  it,  this  first  Giraflfe  cannot,  at  the  utmost,  be  more 
than  nineteen  months  old.  Since  I  have  had  it,  its  size  has 
fully  doubled.'* 

M.  Thibaut  leWs  us  that  the  Giraffe's  "  first  run  is  so 
exceedingly  rapid,  that  the  swiftest  horse,  if  unaccustomed  to 
the  desert,  would  scarcely  come  up  with  it.  If  it  reach  a 
mountain,  it  passes  the  heights  with  rapidity ;  its  feet  (as 
already  observed)  being  like  those  of  the  goat,  endowing  it 
with  the  dexterity  of  that  animal ;  and  with  such  incredible 
power  it  bounds  over  the  ravines,  that  horses  cannot,  in 
such  situations,  compete  with  it." 

The  Giraflfe  is  fond  of  a  wooded  country,  where,  as  we 
h  ive  said,  leaves  of  trees  are  its  principal  food ;  its  con- 
formation  allowing  it  to  reach  the  tops.  The  one  spoken 
of  above,  killed  by  the  Arabs,  measured  twenty-one 
(French)  feet  from  the  ears  to  the  hoofs.  Green  herbs  ara 
also  very  agiceable  to  this  animal,  but  its  structure  does 


THE    BEAR.  143 

not  admit  of  its  feeding  on  them  in  the  same  manner  as 
our  domestic  quadrupeds,  such  as  the  ox  and  the  horse.  It 
is  obliged  to  straddle  widely  ;  its  fore-feet  are  gradually 
stretched  apart  from  each  other,  and  its  neck  being  then 
bent  into  a  semicircular  form,  it  is  thus  enabled  to  collect 
the  grass ;  but  on  the  slightest  noise  the  timid  animal 
raises  itself  with  rapidity,  and  has  recourse  to  immediate 
flight.  It  eats  with  delicacy,  taking  its  foqd  leaf  by  leaf; 
and,  unlike  the  camel,  rejecting  thorns  and  coarse'  herbage. 


Ursus— THE  BEAR. 

Op  this  unimal  there  are  several  varieties  ;  as,  the  White 
or  Polar  Bear,  the  Grizzly  Bear,  the  Black  Bear,  and  the 
Brown  Bear.  Of  these  the  White  Bear  is  considerably  the 
largest,  and  Ibrms  an  exception  to  the  rule  that  the  ani- 
mals of  cold  climates  decrease  in  size  as  compared  with 
those  of  the  warmer ;  since,  while  dwellling  in  the  icy 
regions  of  Greenland  and  Spitzbergen,  he  grows  to  the 
height  ■>f  from  four  to  five  feet,  and  from  eight  to  ten  in 
length  He  has  a  long  nose  and  short  ears ;  his  legs  are 
also  long,  each  foot  being  furnished  with  five  large  claws 
his  tail  is  short,  and  his  whole  body  covered  with  long, 
yellowish-white  hair.     Great  numbers  of  these  cpeaturea 


144  THE     BEAR. 

are  met  with  in  the  high  northern  latituoes,  where  they 
chiefly  subsist  on  seals  and  whatever  fish  they  can  catch. 
They  sometimes  are  seen  floating  upon  masses  of  ice,  in 
search  of  prey,  of  which  an  occasional  dead  whale  forms 
a  part.  Greenland,  and  the  most  frigid  points  of  northern 
discovery,  are  the  haunts  of  the  Polar  Bear,  which  there 
reigns  with  a  powei  as  despotic  as  the  lion  in  the  desert. 
Unused,  however  to  the  sight  of  man,  the  creature  is  more 
inclined  to  fly  from  his  attacks  than  to  meet  them ;  but 
if  he  cannot  do  this,  when  hotly  pressed  he  will  make  a 
desperate  resistance ;  indeed,  the  timidity  ascribed  to  him 
by  some  travellers  is  disputed  by  others ;  but  certain  it  is, 
that  his  great  strength  and  voracious  appetite  render  him 
a  formidable  opponent. 

It  may  readily  be  supposed  that  he  will  prey  upon  foxes 
and  hares ;  but  as  he  must  first  catch  them,  we  have  some 
doubts  of  a  Bear  being  sufficiently  nimble  to  *'  clear  barren 
islands"  of  these  animals,  as  some  writeis,  copying  un- 
supported statements,  have  asserted.  He  will,  however, 
dine  even  upon  a  wolf  (the  flesh  of  which  other  animals 
reject),  if  it  come  in  his  way ;  he  attacks  the  walrus,  and 
is  an  expert  swimmer  and  diver.  In  seeking  to  gratify 
their  hunger,  the  Polar  Bears  are  so  numerous  off"  the  coast 
of  East  Greenland,  that,  as  Captani  Scoresby  states,  they 
are  to  be  seen  floating  on  detached  pieces  of  ice,  in  sucl' 
large  numbers  as  to  appear  like  flocks  of  sheep. 

The   female,   like    most   other   female    quadrupeds,   is 


THE     BEAU.  145 

strongly  attached  to  her  young:  but  tlere  are  so  many 
marvellous  stories  told  of  this  animal,  that  we  must  decline 
quoting  them  until  their  truth  shall  have  been  more  fully 
confirmed. 

The  Grizzly  Bear  is  an  inhabitant  of  North  America, 
of  about  four  feet  in  height  and  seven  in  length.  He  is 
said  to  pursue  his  prey  on  the  ground  only,  and  not  to 
climb  trees,  as  do  the  Brown  and  Black  Bears.  He  is  fierce 
and  treacherous ;  fond  of  carnage,  for  which  his  long 
crooked  claws  are  well  suited ;  and,  in  seeking  his  prey, 
he  fears  not  to  attack  the  bison,  though  with  varied  success. 
He  is,  in  fact,  deemed  to  be  the  most  dangerous  quadruped 
in  America. 

The  Black  Bear  is  also  a  native  of  North  America, 
and  smaller  than  his  European  fellows,  being  about  three 
feet  in  height  and  five  or  six  in  length.  He  is  fond  of 
fruits,  roots,  com,  «fec. ;  but  will  attack  flocks  and  herds 
when  pressed  by  hunger.  He  is  not  only  to  be  found  in 
the  rocky  eminences  of  Canada,  but  ilso  in  still  greater 
numbers  as  far  south  as  California.  He  is  hunted  for  both 
his  flesh  and  skin ;  and  among  the  Indian  tribes,  hunting 
the  Bear  is  an  affair  of  no  slight  importance  and  ceremony. 
But  the  Black  Bear  is  so  closely  allied,  in  habits  and  pro- 
pensities, to  others  of  his  species  of  which  we  are  about  to 
treat,  thai  we  shall  notice  them  more  fuUv  hereafter. 


1<M  THE     BEAR. 

The  Riiowx  Bear.  This  variety  is  well  known  in  tht 
north  jf  Europe  and  Asia;  his  haunts  are  the  solitary 
rocks  and  glens  of  the  forests  of  Norway,  Sweden,  and 
Asiatic  Russia ;  nor  is  his  race  wholly  extinct  in  the  Alps, 
where  it  was  formerly  very  numerous. 

As  already  observed,  the  Bear  feeds  upon  roots  and 
berries.  He  is  partial  to  ants ;  and  of  honey  he  is  so 
passionately  fond,  that  to  obtain  it  he  will  run  all  risks. 
He  is,  however,  as  great  a  lover  of  flesh  as  many  other 
animals  of  his  order,  notwithstanding  all  that  has  been 
said  to  the  contrary ;  and  his  prodigious  strength  enables 
him  to  attack  and  conquer  with  success.  Falk  is  re- 
peatedly quoted,  in  proof  that  "  Bears  may,  for  years, 
reside  in  the  neighbourhoods  of  cattle,  without  doing  them 
an  injury."  Perhaps  ihey  may  do  so;  yet  Falk  himself 
says,  "  they  will  sometimes  visit  herds  solely  from  the 
desire  of  prey ;"  and  Lloyd  avers  (m  his  Northern  Field 
Sports)  that  "  young  Bears  sehlorii  molest  cattle ;  but  old 
ones,  having  tasted  blood,  become  very  destructive." 

During  the  winter  months,  the  Bear  retires  to  his  den, 
where,  from  about  November  to  April  (according  to  the 
mildness  or  severity  of  the  season),  he  remains,  if  unmolest- 
ed, in  a  constant  lethargy.  He  is  generally  fat  when  he 
commei.^s  his  winter  nap ;  and,  during  the  whole  period 
of  his  retirement,  he  takes  no  nourishment  whatever,  deri 
ving  support  from  his  superabundance  of  fat  only  (as  many 
writers  assert),  reappearing  in  the  spring  in  a  gaunt  and 


THE  :6ea:ii.  147 

famished  condition.  This  statement  is,  however,  denied 
by  Lloyd,  who  says,  that  when  the  Bear  quits  his  retreat 
m  the  spnng,  he  still  retains  his  fulness  of  flesh :  "  the 
most  experienced  chasseurs,^''  he  says,  "  have  assured  me, 
that  if  undisturbed  in  his  lair,  no  perceptible  difference  is 
observable  in  his  condition,  whether  he  is  shot  in  the  early 
part  of  the  winter,  or  immediately  before  he  rises  in  the 
spring."  He  tells  us,  that  towards  the  end  of  October,  the 
stomach  and  bowels  of  the  animal  become  empty  and  con- 
tracted, the  extremity  of  which  is  closed  by  a  hard  sub- 
stance, which  the  Swedes  call  Tappen,  composed  chiefly 
of  pine-leaves ;  and  which,  by  undergoing  a  process  in  the 
stomach,  becomes  a  substitute  for  food,  until  he  quits  his 
den,  when  the  Tappen  leaves  him  ;  he  then  lives  upon  ants 
and  such  other  food  as  may  be  of  easy  digestionj  until  his 
stomach  resumes  its  wonted  functions,  when  he  seizes 
almost  everything  that  comes  in  his  way.  He  does  not 
attain  his  full  growth  until  he  is  twenty  years  old,  and  will 
live  until  he  is  fifty.  He  attains  to  an  enormous  size  ;  since 
Falk  states  that  he  killed  one  which  he  supposes  to  have 
weighed  750  pounds.  The  skin  of  the  Bear  is  an  article 
of  the  utmost  service  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  North,  while 
his  flesh  is  also  much  prized,  the  paws  and  hams  being 
considered  a  great  delicacy. 

The  story  of  Bears  existing  by  sucking  their  paws  has 
probably  arisen  from  their  practice  of  doing  so,  although 
not  to  obtain  nourishment.     Lloyd  says  his  tame  Bear* 


148  THE     B  E  A  6  . 

were  constantly  thus  engaged  ajler  they  had  been  fed,  co- 
vering their  paws  with  saliva  that  looked  like  milk ;  and 
hence,  he  thinks,  arose  the  vulgar  error  of  Bears  sucking 
milk  from  their  paws.  He  believes  that  the  Bear  obtains  a 
new  skin  on  the  balls  of  his  feet  during  the  winter  months ; 
and  which,  by  licking,  is  assisted  in  its  operation. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

The  Bear  swims  and  climbs  well,  and  is  fond  of  doing 
both,  for  his  amusement  as  well  as  for  prey :  his  senses 
of  seeing,  hoarmg,  and  smelling,  are  excellent ;  and  his 
strength  is  so  great  as  to  enable  him  to  carry  a  small  horse 
in  his  fore  paws,  with  which  he  will  walk  away  upon  his 
hinder  feet.  Neilson,  a  Swedish  writer,  says,  that  a  Bear 
was  thus  employed,  which  actually  carried  a  dead  horse 
•'  along  a  small  tree  lying  across  a  river." 

Lloyd  tells  us,  that  a  peasant  of  Dalecarlia,*  one  day,  in 
a  forest,  fell  in  with  a  young  Bear^  which  had  taken  refuge 
in  a  tree ;  this  he  shot  at  and  brought  to  the  ground ;  but 
his  triumph  was  of  short  duration,  for  the  cries  of  the  cub 
soon  brought  the  mother,  furious  with  rage,  to  its  rescue. 
Having  discharged  his  gun,  he  had  nothing  wherewith  to 
defend  himself  at  first;  he  was  quickly  overpowered,  and 

*  Dalecarlia  is  a  province  of  Sweden,  near  Norway  ;  it  is  mountain- 
ous, yet  contains  fertile  pastures  ;  but  its  chief  wealth  is  its  mines  ot 
Bilver,  oopptf,  and  iron,  some  of  which  are  of  an  immense  depth. 


THE    BEAE.  149 

desperately  bitten  in  every  part  of  his  body.  He  would  Idk 
evitably  have  lost  his  life,  had  not  the  Bear  at  length 
severely  wounded  herself  upon  the  long  knife  which  every 
peasant  of  the  north  carries  attached  to  his  girdle.  Feeling 
the  pain,  she  turned  from  him ;  and  spying  her  cub  on 
the  ground,  which  now  lay  dead,  she  took  it  up  in  her 
mouth  and  carried  it  off,  to  the  no  small  joy  of  hep 
antagonist. 

The  barbarian  practice  of  baiting  Bears  by  setting  dogs  at 
them,  was  long  a  favourite  diversion,  and  was  extensively 
practised  until  within  the  last  thirty  years :  modern  education, 
however,  has  improved  the  tastes  and  feelings  of  those  who 
could  delight  in  such  cruel  exhibitions,  and  they  are  now  al- 
most unknown  ;  as  are,  also,  the  no  less  disgustipg  cruelties 
exercised  in  forcing  Bears  to  dance,  which  were  sights  of 
common  occurrence  through  our  public  streets.  But  few 
people  who  encouraged  the  tormentors  by  whom  they  were 
led,  knew  or  thought  of  the  agony  to  which  they  were  sub- 
jected by  their  brutal  masters  ;  amusing  themselves  only  in 
looking  at  their  awkward  movements  in  shuffling  about  upon 
their  hind  feet,  tumbling  head-over-heels,  and  other  clumsy 
tricks,  which  fear  impelled  them  to  perform  at  the  bidding 
of  their  keepers.  Yet  in  training  a  dancing  Bear  to  this 
state  of  obedience,  he  was  first  almost  starved,  and  shock- 
ingly beaten ;  an  iron  ring  was  then  forced  through  the 
cartilage  of  his  nose,  to  which  a  chain  was  affixed,  by 
which  he  was  drawn  up  to  stand  erect,  while  plates  of  ban 


ISO  THE     BEAR. 

iron  were  placed  round  him,  so  that  he  dared  not  to  reat 
upon  his  paws ;  and  during  these  cruelties,  a  pipe  and 
labour  were  sounded,  which  he  afterwards  showed  that  he 
understood  to  be  the  signal  for  him  to  commence  his  un- 
natural performances.  Who  would,  knowingly,  encourage 
such  inhuman  acts  as  these?  We  hope  they  have  ceased 
for  ever. 

We  will  conclude  our  anecdotes  of  the  Bear  with  a  re- 
cital of  the  somewhat  marvellous  adventures  of  Colonel 
Crockett,  a  backwoodsman  of  Tennessee,  who  is  stated, 
with  his  friend  John  Bradshaw  (also  of  the  Western  Dis- 
trict), to  "  have  killed  about  fifteen  hundred  Bears,  exclusive 
of  a  proportionate  quantity  of  other  game." 

Colonel  David  Crockett  has  certainly  been  one  of  the 
greatest  American  hunters  of  his  day :  but  before  we  enter 
upon  any  details  of  his  exploits,  we  must  here  premise, 
that  in  the  neighbourhood  of  his  dwelling  (although  pre- 
viously to  his  residing  there),  there  was,  in  the  year  1812, 
a  tremendous  earthquake.  The  section  of  country  east 
of  the  Mississippi  where  it  occurred,  is  called  the  SJiakes, 
and  by  this  name  only  it  is  now  understood ;  these 
Shakes,  we  are  told,  "form  the  best  hunting-grounds  in 
the  West." 

The  narrator  from  whom  we  are  about  to  quote,  says, 
that  he  received  the  statement  from  Colonel  Crockett  him- 
■tlf;  and  of  which  the  following  is  a  brief  narrative. 

It  was  the  custom  of  the  Colonel  to  spend  a  part  of 


THEBEAR.  15 

every  winter  in  Bear-hunting,  generally  taking  a  friend 
with  him  to  partake  of  the  sport,  which  was  sure  to  be  met 
with  at  the  Shakes;  and  where  he  pitched  his  tenr,  ana 
hunted  in  the  wilderness  until  he  procured  "  as  much  meat" 
as  he  wanted. 

In  the  year  1824—5,  he  tells  us  that  he  and  a  friend 
were  thus  engaged,  for  several  days,  with  great  success ; 
when,  one  evening  as  they  were  returning  to  their  tent, 
their  pack-horses  laden  with  the  spoils  of  the  forest,  and 
their  "  dogs  tiotting  lazily"  after  them,  —  "  old  Whirhvhid''' 
opened,  that  is,  gave  notice  by  his  barking  that  another 
Bear  was  at  hand.  The  Colonel  then  bade  his  friend  lead 
the  pack-horses  to  the  tent ;  —  away  went  the  dogs  in  pur- 
suit of  the  Bear,  and  the  Colonel  himself  after  tirj  dogs- 

The  Bear  ran  up  a  ravine,  or  hollow  pass,  which  had  a 
bend,  and  the  Colonel  ran  across,  with  the  intent  of 
meeting  him  as  he  came  out ;  but  it  was  now  almost  dark, 
and  the  wind  blew  intensely  cold.  "  Presently  I  heard  the 
old  Bear,"  says  he,  "  rattling  through  the  cane,  and  the 
dogs  coming  on  like  lightning  after  him ;  they  dashed  by 
me,  and,  as  they  all  '  bi-oke  out,'  the  woods  re-echoed  to 
their  voices." 

The  dogs  now  seized  the  Bear ;  the  Colonel  ran  as  fast 
as  he  could  towards  the  spot  where  he  heard  them  fighting, 
which  was  but  a  short  distance  before  him ;  but  ere  he 
came  up  with  them  master  Bruin  had  broken  away  and 
got  off,  the  dogs  still  pursuing  him.     Thus  the  chase  con* 


152  THE     BEAR. 

tinued,  the  dogs  every  now  and  then  bringing  their  game 
to  a  stand,  when  the  fight  was  renewed  ;  the  Bear  then 
breaking  away  as  before,  and  the  Colonel  running  as  fast 
as  he  could,  in  the  hope  of  conning  up  with  the  dogs  while 
they  held  their  opponent  at  bay ;  and  thus,  in  the  dark^ 
through  canes  and  briers,  for  two  or  three  miles,  he 
followed,  until  he  thought  himself  sure  of  his  prize,  having 
got  within  about  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  of  where  both  Bear 
and  dogs  were  once  more  fighting: — but  here  he  was 
again  wofully  mistaken.  It  had  become  so  dark  that  he 
could  scarcely  tell  a  Bear  from  a  dog ;  yet  he  still  sought 
to  come  up  with  them,  when  he  found  himself  at  the  verge 
of  a  creek  which  separated  him  from  his  hopes,  since  the 
Bear  and  the  dogs  were  on  the  other  side  of  it.  How 
deep  it  might  be  he  knew  not ;  but  dark  and  cold  as  was 
the  night,  he  felt  that  it  was  too  late  for  him  to  turn  back, 
and  that  his  only  chance  of  not  losing  himself  was  to  keep 
within  hearing  of  his  dogs.  Thus  situated,  he  held  up  his 
gun  and  dashed  into  the  water,  through  which  he  waded, 
and  scrambled  out  on  the  other  side.  The  combatants 
had,  however,  kept  up  their  running  fight,  and  the  poor 
Colonel  could  only  follow  them  by  their  noise,  which  he 
did, — "  as  near,"  says  he,  "  as  I  could  guess,  from  four  to 
five  miles ;"  when  the  Bear,  wearied  out,  climbed  a  tree ; 
**  and,"  continues  the  Colonel,  "  I  was  mighty  glad  of  it." 
He  then  went  up  to  the  spot,  but  it  was  so  very  dark  he 
could  not  see  anything  distinctly ;  but,  looking  up  the  tree 


THE     BEAR.  153 

(so  placing  himself  that  it  was  between  him  and  a  star), 
he  perceived  a  part  of  it  looking  darker  than  the  rest,  at 
winch  he  pointed  his  rifle,  at  a  venture  fired,  and  down 
came  the  old  Bear — though  but  little  harmed,  since  he  and 
the  dogs  renewed  the  fight  as  furiously  as  ever.  There 
were  six  of  the  latter,  now,  upon  him  altogether ;  and 
they  thus  continued  fighting  and  rolling  about,  near  the 
very  feet  of  the  Colonel,  for  nearly  an  hour ;  while  all  he 
could  distinguish  was  one  old  dog  which  was  white,  while 
he  and  his  fellows  occasionally  let  their  master  know  when 
they  were  getting  the  worst  of  the  battle  by  their  loud 
yells,  caused  by  too  close  a  hug  from  the  paws  of  the 
Bear. 

"  I  had  my  knife  drawn,  to  stick  him,  whenever  he 
should  seize  «ze,"  says  the  Colonel ;  "  but,  after  a  while, 
Bear,  dogs  and  all,  rolled  down  a  precipice  just  before  me, 
and  I  could  hear  them  fighting,  as  it  were,  in  a  hole." 
He  then  reloaded  his  rifle,  and,  laying  himself  down  at  the 
brink  of  the  opening,  felt  about  with  it  until  he  touched 
the  Bear,  when  he  again  fired  upon  him  ;  but,  if  the  animal 
were  wounded,  he  seemed  but  little  the  worse ;  for  out  of 
the  hole  he  bounced,  the  dogs  after  him,  and  all  fighting,  as 
the  Colonel  says,  "  harder  than  ever," 

He  now  laid  down  his  gun,  and  again  drew  his  knife, 

but  Bear  and  dogs  were  in  such  close  contact,  all  rolling 

about  together,  that  they  seemed  to  be  in  a  sort  of  moving 

lump;  and  while  the  Colonel  stood  with  his  knife,  thus 

10 


IM  THE    BEAK. 

useless,  in  his  hand,  down  went  the  combatants,  altog^.K^, 
once  more  into  the  hole,  fighting,  growling,  and  yelling. 

The  Colonel  now  resolved  on  again  loading  his  rifle, 
in  the  hope  of  being  moi-e  fortunate  in  another  effort  to 
shoot  the  Bear;  and  thinking  himself  tolerably  accurate  as 
to  the  position  in  which  the  animal  appeared  to  lie  in  the 
hole,  he  felt  for  his  gun  ;  but  he  felt  in  vain  :  he  had 
moved  from  the  place  where  he  had  laid  it  down ;  nor 
could  he,  by  feeling  about,  recover  it.  This,  it  may  be 
supposed,  must  have  been,  under  such  circumstances,  a 
sad  disappointment ;  but,  finding  a  stick,  he  reached  down 
the  hole,  to  ascertain,  as  nearly  as  might  be,  the  actual 
position  of  the  Bear ;  and  having  satisfied  himself  as  well 
as  he  could  on  this  point,  he  resolved  on  one  of  the 
boldest  adventures  that  ever  entered  into  the  head  of  a 
Bear-hunting  backwoodsman. 

Our  readers  have  seen  what  perils  he  had  already  en- 
countered in  pursuing  this  chase ; — it  was  now  ten  or 
eleven  o'clock,  on  a  frosty  winter  night ;  and  he  alone  in 
the  wiUlerness,  at  a  distance  of  about  thirty  miles  from  any 
settlement  inhabited  by  his  fellow-beings  ; — the  only  living 
soul  he  could  suppose  to  be  at  a  less  distance,  was  the  friend 
who  had  set  out  with  him  to  hunt,  and  who  had  gone  with 
fteir  pack-horses  to  the  tent ;  but,  where  this  friend,  or  the 
tent  itself  might  be,  he  knew  not;  yet,  thus  situated,  far 
from  all  human  aid, — on  a  dark  night,  in  the  depth  of  win- 
tBFi  and  in  a  forest, — this  bold  hunter  resolved  on  descend* 


THEBEA&.  155 

ing  into  a  chasm  formed  by  an  earthquake  wherein  a  wild 
Bear  was  contending  for  his  hfe  against  half-a-dozen  reso- 
lute dogs ! 

He  knew,  as  he  himself  tells  us,  that  the  "  Bear  was  in 
a  crack  made  by  the  Sliakes ;  but  how  deep  it  was,  or 
whether,  if  he  got  in,  he  could  get  out,  he  could  not  tell." 
He  was  at  this  time  sitting  down,  just  over  the  Bear,  think- 
ing of  the  hazard  of  the  experiment  he  was  about  to  make, 
when  some  of  his  dogs  let  him  know  by  their  cries,  that 
they  were  in  a  perilous  situation.  This,  it  might  have  been 
supposed,  would  have  awed  a  less  determined  sportsman ; 
but  the  Colonel  rose,  and  certainly  with  a  courage  which 
none,  we  think,  but  an  experienced  hunter  of  the  forest  could 
possess,  he  let  himself  down  the  chasm,  and  alighted  just 
behind  the  Bear.  "Where  I  landed,"  says  he,  "was  about 
as  deep  as  I  am  high ;  I  felt  mighty  ticklish,  and  I  wished 
I  was  out :  I  could  not  see  anything,  but  I  determined  to 
go  through  with  it.  I  drew  my  knife,  and  kept  feeling 
about  with  my  hands  and  feet  until  I  touclicd  the  Bear; 
this  I  did  very  gently ;  then  got  upon  my  hands  and 
knees,  and  inched  my  left  hand  up  his  body,  with  the 
knife  in  my  right,  until  I  got  pretty  far  up,  when  I  plunged 
it  into  him ;  he  sank  down,  and  for  a  moment  there  was  a 
great  struggle ;  but  by  the  time  I  had  scrambled  out, 
everything  was  getting  quiet,  and  my  dogs,  one  at  a  time, 
came  out  after  me,  and  lay  down  at  my  feet." 

Such  is  the  Colonel's  account  of  his  adventure,  and  of 


l6§  THE    BEAR. 

a  more  daring  enterprise  we  never  heard.  But,  as  oui 
young  friends,  perhaps,  might  not  be  so  well  pleased  tha. 
we  sliould  leave  him  in  the  woods  with  the  dead  Bear,  if 
they  will  accompany  us  we  will  see  him  to  a  place  of 
safety,  and  conclude  the  narration. 

Having  got  out  of  the  chasm,  by  the  aid  of  his  flint  and 
steel  he  tried  to  make  a  fire,  which,  however,  would  not 
burn ;  and,  no  longer  in  a  state  of  excitement,  he  felt  an 
immoderate  thirst.  He  took  a  light,  fortunately  discoverec* 
the  creek  through  which  he  had  waded,  and  got  safe  back 
to  his  Bear.  Still,  he  could  not  get  his  fire  to  burn,  and 
became  so  cold  that  he  feared  he  should  have  died. 
Rousing  himself,  however,  he  set  about  getting  the  Bear 
out  of  the  hole,  which  threw  him  into  a  perspiration,  and 
gave  him  three  hours  of  hard  work ;  for,  as  he  raised  the 
dead  carcass  to  the  top,  it  repeatedly  slipped  down  again. 

Having  at  length  accomplished  this  task,  he  lay  down, 
and  made  his  dogs  lie  upon  him,  in  the  hope  of  keeping 
himself  warm  ;  but  the  plan  failed.  He  then  climbed  a 
tree  and  slipped  down  again ;  he  found  it  "  warm  work  ;" 
and  thus,  climbing  and  descending,  he  occupied  himself 
until  daylight,  when  he  started  for  his  tent,  which  he  found 
to  be  five  miles  from  the  scene  of  his  adventure  with  the 
Bear.  His  friend  had  thought  him  lost :  but,  after  resting 
himself,  the  Colonel  took  him  to  the  place  where  he  had 
passed  the  night,  and  both  were  equally  astonished.  The 
Colonel — now  that  the  cause  of  fear  was  over — seems  to 


THEOTTEB.  157 

have  felt  really  alarmed.  "It  almost  made  me  giddy,*' 
says  he,  "  to  look  at  the  dangers  I  had  escaped ;"  since  he 
now  saw — independent  of  the  chance  of  being  torn  to 
pieces  by  the  Bear — that  he  "  hao  been  all  night  on  the 
brink  of  a  dreadful  chasm,  where  a  slip  of  a  few  feet 
would  have  brought  about  instant  death  /" 


LtTTRA— THE  OTTER. 

This  animal  is  a  native  of  most  of  the  countries  of 
Europe,  the  West  Indies,  and  North  and  South  America. 
There  are  several  species  of  the  tribe ;  as,  the  Brazilian, 
the  Cayenne,  the  Sea,  the  Slender,  the  Chinchimen,  the 
Vison,  the  Lesser,  and  the  Common  Otter. 

The  Common  Otter  is  about  two  feet  in  length,  from  the 
nose  to  the  insertion  of  the  tail,  and  the  tail  itself  nearly  a 
foot  and  a  half:  its  head  is  short,  but  its  body  is  long  and 
plump ;  its  legs,  which  it  spreads  out  like  fins,  are  short, 
muscular,  and  strong;  and  between  its  toes  there  are  mem 
branes  which  enable  it  to  swim  with  speed  after  its  piey. 
Its  colour  is  a  dark  brown. 


Iflj^  THE     OTTEK. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

It  is  on  the  margin  of  the  water  where  the  Otter  selects 
his  dwelling,  in  some  hollow  of  the  bank ;  from  whence 
the  female  teaches  her  young  to  find  their  own  subsistence 
by  diving  after  it  in  the  stream ;  in  which,  however^  they 
cannot  wholly  live,  as  was  formerly  supposed ;  since  the 
Otter,  it  is  well  knowin,  is  not  an  amphibious  animal, 
although  he  can  remain  for  a  short  time  under  water. 
He  is  enabled  to  do  this,  in  consequence  of  his  lungs  being 
more  capacious,  in  proportion  to  his  size,  than  are  the  lungs 
of  many  other  quadrupeds ;  and  by  which  he  can  inhale  a 
sufficient  quantity  of  air  for  that  purpose.  Should  he, 
however,  get  entangled  in  a  net  under  water,  and  not  be 
able  to  extricate  himself,  he  is  sure  of  being  drowned ;  al- 
though so  quick  a  workman  is  he  in  destruction,  of 
whatever  kind  he  undertakes,  that  the  nets  of  the  fisher- 
men generally  show  that  he  makes  good  use  of  his  teeth  in 
effecting  his  liberty,  which  he  seldom  fails  to  accomplish  in 
a  few  minutes. 

He  is  a  hardy,  ravenous  animal,  that  fears  not  the  cold, 
and  delights  in  killing — even  after  his  hunger  is  satisfied. 
Fish  are  his  favourite  food  ;  but  where  they  are  not  to  be 
had,  he  will  prey  upon  rats,  frogs,  or  whatever  small  game 
he  can  catch :  indeed,  young  grass,  the  bark  and  branches 
of  aquatic  trees,  sometimes,  afford  him  a  repast ;  but  this  h 


THE      OTTER.  159 

only  when  he  happens  to  be  so  circumstanced  as  not  to 
be  al)le  to  obtain  a  subsistence  more  congenial  to  his  taste. 

H(!  does  not  always  seek  his  food  in  the  same  way ; 
Bometimes  he  dives,  and  watches  for  the  fish  that  may  pass 
over  hitn,  which  he  is  sure  to  seize ;  for,  as  the  eyes  of  the 
latter  are  so  placed  as  to  pi-eclude  them  from  seeing  under 
them,  the  Otter  suddenly  rises  from  the  bottom  of  the  water, 
»nzes  his  victim  by  the  belly,  and  carries  it  on  shore.  In 
still  water  he  will  drive  the  smaller  fish  into  creeks  and 
shallow  places,  where  they  cannot  escape  his  rapacity  ;  and 
where  he  will,  for  his  amusement,  destroy  great  quantities 
of  the  finny  race,  by  biting  off  their  heads,  after  he  has 
satisfied  his  hunger.  He  seems  to  prefer  lakes  and  ponds 
to  running  streams ;  and  in  the  latter  he  swims  against  the 
current,  meeting  his  prey  as  it  comes  towards  him.  Thus, 
through  the  summer,  the  Otter,  if  unmolested,  seems  hap- 
pily to  pass  his  time.  But  his  propensity  to  destroy  is  one 
of  the  means  by  which  his  haunts  are  discovered ;  since 
the  great  number  of  dead  fish  that  are  seen  floating  near 
the  edges  of  the  lakes  and  ponds  which  he  is  accustomed 
to  frequent,  are  a  sure  guide  to  the  sportsman,  by  which  he 
is  enabled  to  discover  the  plunderer's  retreat. 

In  winter,  however,  when  the  waters  become  masses  of 
thick  ice,  his  necessities  compel  him,  sometimes,  to  seek 
his  livelihood  wholly  on  land ;  when,  hunger  giving  him 
additional  courage,  he  will  attack  large  animals ;  and, 
though  scarcely  exceeding  a  large  cat  in  size,  will  then  de« 


160  THE     OTTER. 

stroy  a  sheep.  He  can,  nevertheless,  continue  a  length  of 
time,  at  this  season  of  the  year,  without  food  ;  and,  till  he 
feels  the  cravings  of  hunger,  he  keeps  much  at  home,  if 
undisturbed. 

When  the  retreat  of  the  Otter  is  discovered,  it  is  often 
found  to  have  been  selected,  as  though  to  guard  against  a 
surprise.  We  have  already  said,  it  is  generally  a  hole  by 
the  side  of  the  water ;  and  which  has,  not  unfrequently,  an 
opening  at  both  ends,  so  that  if  an  enemy  approach  on  one 
side,  he  flies  to  the  other,  and,  plunging  into  the  water,  es- 
capes. Should  he,  however,  be  closely  pursued,  he  fights 
with  desperation,  and  will  not  let  go  his  hold  when  he  has 
once  bitten.  When  an  old  Otter,  therefore,  is  in  view,  thf 
sportsman  shoots  him  at  once.  Thofie  which  are  kept  in  t 
tame  state  are  taken  when  young. 

As  soon  as  the  dogs  discover  an  Otter's  retreat,  they  give 
note  of  it  by  their  barking; — should  the  mother  happen  to 
be  at  home  with  her  family,  she  immediately  plunges  into 
the  water,  followed  by  her  young  ones ;  and  if  not  reached 
by  a  shot,  they  all  generally  escape.  We  know,  however 
of  an  instance  wherein  a  resolute  dog  pursued  an  Otter  intt 
the  water,  which,  finding  himself  hard  pressed,  turned  sharp- 
ly and  seized  his  pursuer,  striving,  as  it  appeared,  to  drag 
her  down.  Rose  was  not  only  a  large  animal,  but  she  pos- 
sessed a  great  share  of  courage ;  and  though  the  Otlei 
made  her  feel  his  bite,  she  returned  the  compliment  so  for- 
cibly, that  in  spite  of  all  his  efforts  to  save  his  life,  she  bow 


THE     OTTER.  161 

him  to  the  shore  in  her  mouth,  where  she  soon  put  an  end 
to  him. 

It  is  when  their  mother  is  from  home  that  the  young  Ot- 
ters are  taken  alive ;  they  seem  to  be  afraid  of  the  dogs, 
and  do  not  venture  to  quit  their  hole,  in  which  they  are 
thus  taken.  When  it  is  intended  that  they  should  be  train- 
ed to  fish  for  their  masters,  they  are,  at  first,  fed  upon  small 
fish,  in  water ;  milk  and  vegetables  ai-e,  afterwards,  given 
to  them,  the  fish  altogether  dispensed  with,  and  bread  only 
supplied,  upon  which  they  thrive. 

To  train  them  for  the  purpose  of  fishing  for  their  mas- 
ters is  a  work  of  much  trouble.  After  they  have  become 
accustomed  to  live  upon  bread,  they  are  taught  to  fetch  and 
.  carry,  as  are  dogs  ;  but  as  they  are  riot  by  any  means  so 
docile,  it  requires  much  more  trouble  to  teach  them,  which 
is  frequently  done  in  the  manner  following.  A  piece  of 
silk,  leather,  or  other  material,  is  cut  out  in  the  shape  of  a  fish, 
which  is  then  sewed  round  and  stuffed  with  bran  or  wool : 
this  is  thrown  to  a  distance,  and  the  Otter  taught  to  fetch  it, 
and  to  drop  it  also  when  he  brings  it  to  his  master.  When 
this  part  of  his  education  has  been  accomplished,  dead  fish 
are  thrown  into  the  water,  which  he  is  in  like  manner,  sent 
to  bring  out ;  when  he  does  this  according  to  the  word  of 
command,  he  is  well  fed  upon  bread,  and  sent  into  the 
water  for  the  purpose  of  repaying  his  master  fcr  the  pains 
taken  in  instructing  him,  which  a  well-trained  Otter  soon 
does,  by  the  quantity  of  fish  he  will  bring  on  shore,  and  of 


162  THEOTTER. 

which  he  is  then  permitted  to  have  a  share.  Gesner  teh« 
us  of  his  usefulness  in  this  way,  which  Cuvier  observes  h« 
is  not  surprised  at. 

In  North  America,  Otters  are  hunted  by  the  Indians ; 
if  at  a  distance  from  water,  these  animals  will  then  dive  intc 
deep  snow,  where  they  are  generally  taken  ;  but  they  will 
sometimes  turn  even  upon  the  hunters  themselves.  Their 
skins  are  variously  manufactured,  by  the  inhabitants  of 
northern  nations. 

There  are  many  statements  recorded  of  the  Otter's  tame« 
ness  and  strong  attachment  to  those  he  has  been  accustomed 
to  obey.  His  flesh,  as  may  be  supposed,  is  of  a  rank,  fishy 
savour ;  indeed,  so  deeply  is  it  impregnated  with  the  food 
upon  which  he  feeds,  that  we  are  told  that  the  Romish 
church  allowed  it  to  be  eaten  on  days  when  it  prohibited  the 
use  of  flesh.  Pennant  says,  that  he  saw  the  good  folk 
cooking  an  Otter,  in  the  kitchen  of  a  Carthusian  convent, 
near  Dijon,  the  inhabitants  of  which  were,  by  their  rules, 
debarred  from  eating  flesh  throughout  their  whole  lives. 
The  sea  Otter,  however  is  said  to  be  delicate  eating,  and  its 
skin  also  is  of  greater  value  than  the  skins  of  others  ;  nei- 
ther is  it  so  courageous  as  the  common  Otter,  but  timid 
and  harmless,  evincing  a  most  ardent  attachment  to  its 
young. 

Otters  are  naturally  sportive,  and  delight  in  playing  in 
the  water.  We  have  seen  one  seize  upon  a  bone,  or  a 
l^eceof  stick,  with  its  paws — dive  with  it  into  the  water 


THE     BE  AVER.  163 

watch  for  its  rising  to  the  surface,  when  it  would  catch  it 
in  its  mouth,  then  let  it  go,  and  as  it  floated  at  the 
top,  or  sunk  beneath,  rush  after  it ;  exhibiting  in  all  its 
movements  the  gambols  of  a  puppy. 


Castor— THE  BEAVER. 

It  was  the  custom  of  the  ancients  to  point  out  the  rela- 
l  ve  duties  of  life  to  youth,  by  practical  examples  evinced 
in  the  natural  propensities  of  the  lower  orders  of  creation. 
Thus,  the  stork  was  instanced  as  a  pattern  of  filial  duty, 
the  dog  for  its  fidelity,  the  lion  for  his  courage,  the  ant  for 
its  industry,  &c.  From  the  Beaver  may  be  learned,  not 
only  industry,  but  the  beneficial  results  of  mutual  assist- 
ance; since  it  is  by  the  united  efforts  of  this  tribe  that  they 
are  enabled  to  perform  what  must  be  deemed  really 
stupendous  works  for  the  general  benefits  of  their  com- 
munity. 

The  length  of  the  Beaver  is  about  from  three  to  four 
feet  from  the  nose  to  the  insertion  of  the  tail ;  and  the  tail 
itself  is  about  a  foot  long,  an  inch  in  thickness,  and  is 
•caly,  oval,  and  flat,  being  full  six  inches  broad.  He  has 
membranes  between  the  toes  of  the  hinder  feet  only  ;  while 
H'itb  his  fore  ones  he  carries  the  materials  with  which  he 


164  THE     BEAVER. 

ouilds  his  house, — conveys  food  to  his  mouth,  and,  is 
short,  these  fore-paws  are  used  in  all  respects  as  hands. 
He  supplies  us  with  the  substance  called  castor,  which 
s  used  for  medicinal  purposes ;  his  flesh  is  esteemed  a 
■^reat  delicacy,  and  his  skin  produces  a  valuable  fur :  yet 
his  tail,  as  we  have  already  said,  is  scaly,  seeming  as 
though  it  were  a  part  of  a  fish  joined  to  the  body  of  a 
(juadruped ;  with  this  he  directs  his  course  when  in  the 
water,  swimming  in  an  upright  position,  with  the  hinder 
part  of  his  body  under  it.  Nor  is  this  its  only  use ;  his 
tail  serves  him  also,  as  we  shall  show,  for  other  purposes 
when  on  land.  He  varies  in  colour,  but  is  mostly  of  a 
brown  or  black ;  he  is  a  native  of  noithern  climates,  and 
j8  most  plentiful  in  America — from  Louisiana  to  Hudson's 
Bay. 

Although  we  are  about  to  show  our  young  friends  the 
great  industry  and  skill*  of  the  Beaver,  we  must  caution 
them  not  to  mistake  his  instinct  for  reason.  In  all 
countries  where  man  has  improved  in  civilization,  the  lower 
orders  of  animals  are  e'ither  reduced  to  a  state  of  servitude, 
or  their  natural  efforts  are  checked,  if  not  wholly  subdued: 
— it  is  thus  with  the  Beaver ;  since  we  cannot  agree  with 
Mr.  Griffith  in  his  observations,  where,  speaking  of  their 
peaceable  dispositions,  which  induce  the  strong  never  to 
take  an  advantage  of  the  veak,  he  says :  "  If  they  re- 
nounce the  right  of  the  strongest,  and  submit  themselves  to 
moral  laws,  and  a  kind  of  cob  tciousness  of  duty,  it  pro- 


THE     BEAVEB.  1G5 

ceeds  alone  from  the  injluence  which  they  exercise  over  each 
oilier,  and  from  the  education  which  the  young  receive 
from  the  adult  at  an  age  when  they  are  forced  to  obey. — 
An  incontestable  proof  of  this  fact  is,  that  they  lose  all 
tlieir  social  qualities  from  the  moment  that  some  powerful 
cause  has  isolated  them  from  their  fellows,  and  condemns 
them  to  live  in  a  state  of  solitude." 

This  is  an  implication  from  which  we  wholly  dissent ; 
since  it  is  absurd  to  imagine  that  the  Beaver,  in  his  natural 
state,  should  in  any  way  act  contrary  to  instinct.  It  is 
not  the  "  education  ichich  tJie  young  receive  from  the 
adulC  which  induces  the  Beaver  to  unite  with  his  fellows 
to  acccomplish  an  object  for  their  mutual  benefit :  he  does 
so,  as  does  the  Txnt,  instinctively.  The  knowledge  of  man 
is  but  weakness ;  and  although  to  him  it  may  appear  as 
though  the  Beaver  possessed  the  power  of  reflection,  yet, 
when  his  habitation  has  been  disturbed  by  the  hunter,  he 
becomes  timid,  and  leads  a  solitary  life,  instinctively  seek- 
ing merely  to  provide  for  his  individual  necessities.  Thus, 
though  it  has  pleased  Providence  to  endue  him  with  an 
instinct  which  teaches  him  to  unite  his  exertions  with  those 
of  his  companions,  in  a  systematic  way,  for  their  general 
convenience  and  comfort,  yet,  this  is  but  the  same  kind  of 
knowledge  by  which  birds  are  induced  to  build  a  nest  for 
the  purpose  of  sheltering  their  young,  or  which  prompts 
the  ravening  wolf  to  aid  his  species  in  surrounding  the 
deer^which,  as   already  shown,  they  thus  drive  to  de- 


166  THE    BEAVER. 

Btruction.  It  teaches  them,  however,  to  assemble  in  larg« 
bodies,  where  a  concerted  plan  is  acted  upon,  and  which  is 
veil  understood  by  them  all ;  all  unite  to  carry  it  into 
3xecution ;  and  it  seems  to  be  as  clearly  understood  that 
they  are  all  to  share  in  its  benefits.  Such  is  the  instinct 
of  the  ape  and  other  creatures. 


ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

About  the  middle  of  June,  the  Beavers  may  be  said  to 
he'd  their  general  meetings,  consisting  of  two  or  three 
hundred  each.  A  congregation  assembles  by  the  water 
side;  but  as  modern  science  has  not  yet  been  able  to 
report  its  discussions,  our  readers  must  be  content  to 
learn  the  results  of  such  a  meeting ;  which,  should  it  take 
place  on  the  margin  of  a  lake,  where  the  waters  keep 
their  level,  they  content  themselves  with  setting  about  the 
erection  of  their  dwellings,  merely  ;  but  should  they 
happen,  as  is  frequently  the  case,  to  hold  their  congress 
upon  the  bank  of  a  running  stream,  which  they  appear  to 
know  is  subject  to  floods  and  falls,  then  it  is  that  these 
comparatively  small  animals  show  what  can  be  performed 
by  united  perseverance  and  industry,  when  determined  to 
effect  a  laudable  object. 

As  they  delight  in  bathing,  it  must  appear  well  consi- 
dered in  them  to  provide  themselves  with  a  necessary  supplv 


THE    BEAYEB.  167 

of  water  previously  to  building  their  houses ;  and,  in  tirder 
to  do  this,  they  get  as  near  as  they  can  to  the  shallowest 
pait  of  the  stream,  where  grow  such  trees  as  they  require 
to  erect  a  pier,  or  dam,  all  across  it.  The  Beavers  then 
begin  their  work,  in  detached  parties,  one  of  which  com- 
mences felling  a  large  tree,  which  is  soon  accomplished  by 
their  teeth.  Sitting  at  their  work,  they  thus  enjoy  the  fresh 
bark,  of  which  they  are  very  fond  ;  and  thus  they  sit,  and 
work,  and  eat,  until  the  large  tree  is  gnawed  through,  and 
falls  within  a  foot  or  two  from  the  earth ;  and  this,  too,  on 
the  side  they  intend  it  should  fall,  which  is  always  across 
the  current. 

Well,  our  wood-cutters  thus  fell  their  tree ;  but  while 
they  are  thus  busily  engaged,  it  must  not  be  thought  that 
their  neighbours  are  idle :  some  are  employed  in  felling 
smaller  trees  in  a  sinular  manner,  while  others  are  fully 
occupied  in  stripping  off  the  top  branches ;  some  in  prepa- 
ring piles,  or  stakes  (the  whole  of  these  operations  per- 
formed by  their  teeth,  assisted  by  their  paws),  others, 
bringing  home  large  quantities  of  clay,  which  they  beat 
with  their  tails  and  feet,  until  it  becomes  very  hard ;  in 
short,  there  is  not  an  idle  hand — we  might  add,  nor  foot, 
tooth,  nor  tail  —  among  them. 

The  large  tree  is  next  forced  to  the  bottom,  and  the  others 
of  smaller  size,  gnawed  sharp  at  one  end,  are  fixed  in  the 
earth  at  short  distances  from  each  other :  while  the  spaces 
between  them  are  filled  up  with  such  supple  branches  as 


168  THE     BEAVER. 

are  suited  to  the  purpose.  The  hard-beaten  clay  is  then 
applied,  to  increase  the  strength  of  their  edifice,  which  is 
sometimes  a  hundred  feet  long,  twelve  feet  thick  at  its  base, 
and  is  in  form,  substance,  and  workmanship,  the  mostin- 
genious  structure  that  could  have  been  devised.  At  the 
top  of  it,  there  are  a  few  openings  which  are  extended  or 
decreased  as  the  current  rises  or  falls.  This  they  strengthen 
every  year  with  stones  and  clay,  "  until  at  length,"  says 
Griffith,  "  it  becomes  a  complete  hedge." 

Thus,  having  provided  themselves  with  «  requisite  supply 
of  water,  both  for  their  necessity  and  pleasure,  they  next 
set  about  constructing  their  country-scats.  These,  however, 
unlike  the  great  work  we  have  just  spoken  of,  are  not  built 
by  the  community  in  general,  but  by  the  respective  parties 
that  intend  to  occupy  them.  Such  tenements  are  usually 
oval  or  circular,  each  having  two  passages,  the  one  for 
their  egress  to  the  water,  the  other  for  a  trip  on  land.  It 
is  often  twelve  feet  in  circumference, — is  sometimes  two  or 
three  stories  high,  and  full  two  feet  thick.  Stakes  are  used 
at  the  sides  to  support  the  upper  floor,  when  there  is  one; 
and  when  the  house  consists  of  one  story  only,  though  the 
walls  are,  of  necessity,  lower,  a  sort  of  dome,  or  vault,  is 
formed  over  them,  binding  the  whole  fabric  so  firmly  toge- 
ther as  to  leave  nothing  to  apprehend  from  the  inclemency 
of  the  weather. 

But  the  domicile  is  not  yet  finished,  although  we  have 
shown  there  has  so  much  been  done.     It  is  to  be  lined  and 


THEBEATER.  109 

ornamented ;  and  this  the  Beavers  do  by  plastering  it  ove»*, 
both  inside  and  out,  with  a  degree  of  neatness  that  is  truly 
surprising,  working  up  their  mortar,  or  clay.,  with  their  feet, 
and  afterwards  smoothing  it  down.  Such  is  the  appearance 
of  these  habitations,  that  to  see  therr.  without  knowing  by 
what  kind  of  animal  they  were  built,  it  woul  J  be  naturally 
supposed  that  the  art  of  man  could  alone  have  formed 
them. 

From  the  window,  or  opening  which  is  towards  the  water, 
they  constantly  bathe  ;  and  when  they  dive,  as  their  nostrils 
and  ears  close,  they  can  remain  some  time  below  the  sur- 
face. This  window  serves  them  for  a  sort  of  balcony, 
where  they  enjoy  the  fresh  air ;  their  floor  is  carpeted  by 
verdure ;  and,  so  naturally  clean  they  are,  that  it  is  never 
soiled,  since  their  sense  of  smelling  is  so  very  delicate 
that  they  could  not  endure  anything  offensive  to  be  near 
them. 

But  we  have  not  yet  done  with  the  architectural  merits 
of  our  aquatic  friends.  Nature  informs  them  that  winter 
will  come ;  and  that,  like  the  ants,  they  must  provide  ac- 
cordingly. To  each  residence,  therefore,  a  magazine  is 
attached,  adequate  to  the  wants  of  its  inhabitants  ;  and  here 
the  winter  stores  are  kept,  to  which  all  the  members  of  one 
family  have  access,  nor  do  these  attempt  to  plunder  their 
neighbours.  The  space,  says  a  modern  traveller,  allotted 
for  the  provisicn  of  eight  or  ten  Beavers  occupies  from 
11 


170  THE     BEAYER. 

tweiity.five  to  thirty  feet  square,  and  from  eight  to  ten 
deep. 

These  Beaver-villages,  if  we  may  so  call  them,  some- 
times contain  above  twenty  houses;  but  in  general  they 
do  not  exceed  ten  or  twelve.  Each  family  has  its  own 
house  and  magazine,  the  number  of  its  members  varying 
from  two  to  twenty.  The  whole  village,  however,  are 
upon  terms  of  friendship ;  and,  on  the  approach  of  danger, 
thoso  that  fear  it  slap  their  tails,  a  sound  which  is  sure  of 
being  heard  and  understood  by  every  inhabitant,  and  each 
cither  takes  to  the  water  or  otherwise  hides  himself  within 
his  dwelling.  Thus  passes  the  life  of  the  Beaver,  appear- 
ing to  enjoy  all  the  comforts  that  life  affords — showing  a 
practical  lesson  to  man,  of  industry,  friendship,  and  good- 
feeling.  But  it  is  man  who  is  his  greatest  enemy :  winter 
arrives,  when  the  fur  of  the  animal  is  in  the  highest  per- 
fection ;  and  then  it  is  that  the  habitations  of  the  Beavers 
are  destroyed  by  the  hunter,  who  kills  them  for  their  skins, 
which  are  a  valuable  article  of  traffic* 

When  the  rivers  are  frozen  over,  and  their  houses  are 
attacked,  they  seek  their  safety  by  swimming  under  the 
ice,  which  they  will  do  to  a  great  distance.  A  hole  is  then 
made  by  the  hunters,  to  which  the  animals  come  for  fresh 
air, — when,  as  their  retreat  has  been  cut  off,  they  are  sufe 
of  being  taken. 

•  Thn  hftirof  »ne  Beaver  is  much  prized  in  the  manufacture  of  hati,  &c. 


THE     BEAVER.  17^ 

»  Du  Pratz  says,  that  (like  many  other  animals)  the 
Beavers  have  a  sentinel  to  warn  the  rest  of  approaching 
danger ;  and,  wishing  to  satisfy  himself  of  their  expertness 
in  repairing  any  damage  that  might  occur  to  their  works,  he 
watched  one  night  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Hudson's  Bay, 
where  these  gentle  creatures  had  formed  a  settlement.  He 
took  some  branches  of  trees,  as  did  another  person  who 
accompanied  him ;  and  thus,  hid  from  the  sight  of  any 
Beaver,  they  gently  approached  the  dam,  unobserved. 

The  object  of  Du  Pratz  was  to  make  a  gutter  in  the 
dam,  so  that  the  water  might  run  out  without  alarming 
the  builders  of  it  ;  and  this,  after  much  caution,  was 
effected  without  the  authors  of  the  mischief  being  seen. 
The  running  out  of  the  water,  however,  roon  alarmed  the 
sentinel,  which,  approaching  the  gutter,  gave  four  distinct 
slaps  with  his  tail.  Immediately  the  whole  community 
were  on  the  spot ;  the  gutter  was  examined,  and  the  old 
sentinel  made  a  low  murmuring  noise,  as  though  giving 
directions  to  the  others  ;  after  which  he  gave  two  more 
slaps  with  his  tail,  and  away  they  went  to  procure  materials 
to  stop  up  the  breach  made  in  their  works, — which  having 
performed,  they  retired  to  their  houses.  From  this  retreat 
the  same  writer  scared  them  by  firing  off  his  gun,  which 
gave  him  a  better  opportunity  of  closely  examining  the 
domestic  arrangements  of  a  Beaver's  establishment. 

It  is  at  the  close  of  Avinter  that  the  female  becomes 
a  nurse;  and,  as  she  generally  has  two  or  three  young 


172  THEBADGEK. 

ones  at  this  time,  she  stays  at  home  to  take  care  of  them, 
when  the  male  quits  their  dwelling  and  rambles  the  fields 
throughout  the  spring :  he,  however,  pays  his  family  a 
visit  now  and  then,  but  does  not  at  this  season  reside  with 
them.  In  a  few  weeks  the  little  ones  are  able  to  follow 
their  mother,  who  then  takes  them  abroad ;  and  thus  they 
pass  their  tin>e,  either  sporting  in  the  water  or  rambling 
through  the  woods. 


Meles— THE  BADGER.       ^""-^^  " 

The  common  Badger  is  of  a  stout,  clumsy  make,  and 
about  two  feet  and  a  half  in  length,  with  a  tail  not  ex- 
ceeding six  inches.  His  hair  is  long,  coarse,  and  of  an 
ash-colour  approaching  to  black.  His  legs  are  short  and 
strong,  while  his  claws,  especially  those  of  his  fore  feet, 
enable  him  to  dig  well,  and  also  to  defend  himself  with  the 
better  success  against  the  attacks  of  his  enemies.  He  is  an 
inhabitant  of  both  Europe  and  Asia,  where  the  climate  is 
temperate,  but  is  not  so  generally  to  be  met  with  as  are 
other  animals  of  the  order  to  which  he  belongs.  He  emits 
an  oily  liquid,  which  he  sucks,  and  his  coat  always  looks 
dirty  although  he  keeps  his  habitation  clean.  There  ar* 
alsc  the  Anierican  and  Indian  Badger. 


THS     BADGER.  K^ 

;f— •-        -^      "   - 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

The  Badger  is  naturally  a  retiring  and  soliLary  animal, 
that  burrows  deeply  in  the  earth,  taking  care  that  the  pas- 
sage to  his  house  should  not  be  a  straight  one,  but  always 
winding.  In  this  hole  he  passes  the  greater  portion  of  hia 
life,  if  unmolested,  going  abroad  only  at  night,  in  search 
of  food,  of  which  frogs,  eggs,  insects,  fish,  fruits,  and  roots 
form  a  part ;  so  that  he  is  by  no  means  particular  as  to  its 
quality  or  flavour.  In  Pennsylvania  he  is  called  the 
Ground  Hog. 

We  have  noticed  the  crooked  path  by  which  the  Badger 
descends  to  his  hole,  and  which  he  makes,  perhaps,  in  hopes 
of  eluding  his  enemies,  though  of  these  man  is  certainly 
the  worst.  The  fox,  however,  is  no  great  friend  to  him ; 
since,  though  he  dare  not  attack  him  in  his  retreat,  he  often 
forces  him  to  quit  it,  knowing  the  Badger  to  be  a  better 
excavator  than  himself,  and  that  cunning  may  do  more  for 
him  than  a  battle  with  a  strong  opponent  that  would  fight 
and  bite  very  hard. 

When  Reynard,  therefore,  would  get  possession  of  the 
desired  premises,  he  goes  when  the  Badger  is  at  home,  and 
commences  his  operations  by  scratching  at  the  entnn'.'e, 
where  he  takes  his  station ;  and,  if  all  other  arts  fail  hnn, 
he  creates  offensive  smells,  which  he  seems  to  know  cannot 
be  endured.     The  Badger  is  thus  forced  to  quit  his  den,  of  ^ 


174  THERACOON. 

which  the  fox  takes  immediate  possession ;  but,  though 
driven  from  his  home,  he  does  not  quit  the  neighbourhood, 
but  digs  himself  another  cave  as  soon  as  possible.  Should 
Ihe  dogs  of  the  sportsman  overtake  him,  he  throws  himself 
upon  his  back,  and  fights  with  desperate  courage,  both  with 
teeth  and  claws. 

He  is  no  \ess  determined  in  his  defence  when  a  dog  is 
sent  into  his  burrow,  which,  though  he  keeps  it  very  clean, 
is  often  fatal  to  the  dogs  that  enter  it,  the  Badger  being 
subject  to  the  mange,  which  is  thus  communicated  to  hia 
enemies.  When  the  female  has  young  ones,  she  soon 
teaches  them  to  prey  upon  such  rabbits,  birds,  serpents, 
&c.,  as  she  can  catch,  and  which  she  carries  home  to  them, 
ihe  male  not  taking  any  trouble  about  his  family. 


THE  RACOON. 


The  Racoon  is  a  pretty-lookmg  animal,  with  a  fine  coat 
of  fur,  which  is  much  used.  His  head  is  like  that  of  the 
fox :  his  body  about  two  feet  long ;  and  his  tail,  whicii  is 
marked  with  black  and  gray  rings,  is  as  long  as  his  body, 
which  is  of  a  grayish  white  underneath,  and  rriLrKed  with 
black  stripes  upon  the  upper  part,  which  is  of  a  dark  gray 
or  reddish  brown  :  his  face  is  gray,  M'ith  black  stripes  over 


THE      RAtJOON.  178 

■nd  circles  round,  the  eyes  and  nose:  his  fore  legs  are 
■horter  than  the  hind  ones,  and  each  foot  is  provided  with 
five  strong  claws.  He  is  naturally  a  clean  animal ;  is  a 
native  of  North  and  South  America  and  the  West  Indies ; 
and  was,  in  the  latter  place,  long  considered  a  great  pest 
among  the  plantations. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

He  feeds  upon  sugar-canes,  fruits,  eggs,  birds,  and  some- 
times  fish.  Brickell  and  others  say,  that  he  will  watch 
for  the  opening  of  an  oyster,  and  then  tear  it  from  its  shell 
with  his  paw;  that  he  will  at  times  do  this  cleverly,  but 
that  it  occasionally  happens  the  oyster  is  too  quick  for  him, 
closing  his  paw  in  its  shells,  when  he  is  sure  of  being 
drowned.  It  is  also  averred  that  he  thus  fishes  for  crabs : 
— turning  his  back  to  the  water  he  will  let  his  tail  drop 
into  it,  which  the  crab  will  seize,  when,  jerking  it  out,  he  is 
careful  to  bite  it  the  cross  way,  lest  the  crab  should  apply 
its  nippers  to  his  nose. 

Ho  conveys  his  food  to  his  moutii  with  Tiis  paws,  using 
both,  like  the  squirrel,  for  this  purpose.  He  climbs  a  tree 
with  ease  and  expedition,  in  the  hollow  of  which  he  fixes 
his  abode,  and  soon  clears  it  of  all  other  inhabitants, 
fiince  they  cannot  have  a  more  dangerous  neighbour. 

In  a  tame  state,  however,  he  is  very  docile  and  harmless, 
•o  that  care  be  taken  to  keep  hira  from  the  hen-roost,  Ace. 


176  THE     RACOON. 

We  had  a  very  fine  one  for  a  considerable  time ;  he  was 
generally  confined  by  a  long  chain,  but  when  allowed  to 
have  his  liberty  he  would  get  upon  our  shoulders,  pick  our 
pockets  of  nuts  or  fruit,  search  every  corner  where  he 
thought  there  was  anytiiing  to  be  got,  and  would  get  any- 
thing eatable  that  came  in  his  way. 

His  usual  place  of  confinement  was  a  loft  over  a  scullery, 
from  which  his  long  chain  permitted  him  to  come  down  to  the 
bricked  floor  to  take  his  food  ;  and  where  stood  a  tub  of  water 
for  his  special  use,  in  which  he  was  wont  to  wash  everything 
(with  his  paws)  before  he  ate  it.  When  in  a  playful  mood, 
he  would  climb  up  half  way  to  the  loft,  and  watch  for  any 
one  passing,  whom  he  knew,  and  of  whom  he  would  be 
sure  to  steal  something.  .  He  has  often  amused  himself 
with  whipping  off  the  cook's  cajj  as  she  passed  by,  in  a 
hurry,  with  both  her  hands  full ;  but  his  pranks  were 
always  good-natured,  though  he  was  at  last  sent  away 
through  the  folly  of  an  unthinking  lad,  rather  than  from 
any  misbehaviour  of  his  own. 

Rac  had  long  been  a  great  favourite,  was  well  fed,  fat 
and  beautiful ;  had  never  been  known  to  touch  live  game 
of  any  kind,  nor  was  it  ever  thouglit  that  he  would  have 
killed  a  mouse  had  it  come  in  his  way.  One  night,  hew- 
ever,  a  lad  bought  four  geese,  which  it  was  intended,  on  the 
next  morning,  should  join  the  rest  of  the  poultry  in  the 
yard.  That  they  might  rest  in  safety,  he  placed  ihenn 
within  the  dominions  of  Mr.  Rac,  just  under  the  hay-loft ; 


T  H  E     A  P  E .  177 

when  (diie  to  relate!)  Roc  lost  his  character — and  the 
geese  their  lives.  No  sooner  were  they  left,  than  he  peeped 
down  upon  their  destiny ;  and  before  the  brainless  boy 
returned,  he  had  sucked  the  brains  of  the  four  geese  and 
retired  to  the  hay-loft,  like  a  rogue  as  he  was,  as  though  he 
knew  nothing  of  the  means  by  which  they  came  by  their 
death. 


SiMius— THE   APE. 

The  Ape,  or  Monkey  tribe,  is  so  very  numerous,  that  ita 
varieties  cannot  be  definitely  ascertained.  It  is  divided, 
generally,  into  two  kinds,  called  Monkeys  and  Lemurs,  and 
these  are  subdivided  into  innumerable  species  of  the  same 
family.*  Monkeys  have  four  incisive  or  cutting  teeth  in 
each  jaw,  and  flat  nails  on  the  extremities;  "two  charac- 
ters," says  Griffith,  "  which  approximate  them  to  the  human 
race."  The  Lemurs  have  more  or  less  than  four  incisive 
teeth,  and  other  distinguishing  marks :  they  are  chiefly  to 
be  found  in  Madagascar.  We  shall,  however,  speak  of 
Apes,  Baboons,  and  Monkeys  only. 

The  Ape  has  no  tail,  and  appears  more  to  resemble  the 
human   figure  than   does   any  other  animal :   the  Baboon 

•  Ir  the  Synopsis  of  Cuvier,  upwards  of  sixty  genera  are  specie  si 


178  THE   APE. 

has  a  short  tail — the  Monkey,  a  long  one ,  and  some  of 
this  tribe,  which  are  natives  of  America,  and  ci.lled  Sap^i- 
joiis,  have  jirehensile  tails,  or  such  as  they  can  twine 
round  an  object,  and  assist  themselves  as  though  it  were 
an  additional  hand.     We  will  first  speak  of 

The  Orang-outang.  This  animal  is  a  native  of  Cochin 
China,  Malacca,  and  more  particularly  of  Borneo.*  His 
average  height  may  be  reckoned  at  from  three  to  four  feet ; 
but  we  have  seen  a  living  specimen  considerably  larger. 
It  is  the  smaller  kind,  called  the  JocJco,  which  is  best  known 
to  us ;  and  hence,  we  believe,  has  arisen  the  error  of 
those  naturalists  who  have  positively  asserted  that  the 
height  of  the  Orang-outang  never  exceeds  four  feet. 

We  have  already  observed,  that  the  Ape  bears  a  stronger 
resemblance  to  the  human  form  than  any  other  creature; 
but,  in  its  internal  conformation,  many  of  the  parts  are 
so  exactly  alike  that  the  most  skilful  anatomist  cannot 
discover  any  difference  between  them  ;  yet,  as  Buffon 
observes,  of  how  little  importance  is  it,  with  whatsoever 
nicety  the  body  is  formed,  when  it  lacks  a  soul !  "  The 
Ape,"  he  has  truly  said,  "  has  all  the  masque  of  the 
human  figure;  that  he  is  an  animal  man  cannot  behold 
without  looking  in  upon  himself,  and  recognising  his  own 
nature — without  being  convinced  that  haly  is  not  the  most 

*  These  countries  are  situated  in  India,  beyond  the  Ganges. 


THE    APE.  179 

essential  part ;  and  that  with  the  exception  of  mind,  there 
IS  nothing  wanting  in  the  Ape  which  we  possess." 

The  hair  of  the  Orang-outang  is  coarse,  of  a  brownish 
red  colour ;  it  is  spread  over  his  back,  arms,  and  legs,  and 
is,  in  some  parts,  four  or  five  inches  long.  His  face  is, 
certainly,  ornamented  with  whiskers  and  a  beard  ;  but  it  is 
not  rough,  like  the  body ;  and  the  palms  of  the  hands  and 
the  feet,  also,  are  equally  unencumbered  with  hair;  his 
forehead  is  low,  but  his  ears  are  not  large ;  his  feet  are 
more  like  hands  thaj?  like  fi?et  ;  —  he  does  not  walk 
upright  in  his  native  wilds,  although  he  runs  with  speed 
when  pursued  by  his  enemies  ;  since,  in  Borneo,  the 
people  of  quality  hunt  him,  as  in  other  countries  they 
do  the  stag,  and  hunting  the  Ape  is  an  amusement  of 
royalty,  the  king  himself  frequently  joining  in  the  chase. 

The  Ape  tribe  all  live  upon  fruits,  roots,  corn,  &c. ;  but 
we  are  assured  that,  if  these  prove  scarce,  they  will  then 
descend  from  the  mountains  to  the  sea-coast,  to  supply 
themselves  with  such  shell-fish  as  they  may  chance  to 
meet  with,  and  to  which  they  are  partial.  Of  these,  the 
greatest  favourite  is  a  large  species  of  oyster  which  lies  on 
the  beach,  with*its  shells  unclosed.  The  Ape  approaches 
cautiously ;  and,  appearing  to  be  fully  aware  that  if  he 
were  to  put  his  fingers  between  the  shells  he  might  get  a 
squeeze  more  pressing  than  pleasant,  he  suddenly  pops  in 
a  .arge  stone,  and  thus  keeps  the  shells  wide  enough  apart 


180  THE     APR. 

CO  enable  him  to  drag  out  the  oyster,  which  he  immeJiately 
devours. 

In  a  domestic  state  he  is,  as  are  most  of  his  tribe, 
grave,  gentle,  docile,  and  much  attached  to  those  who  treat 
him  with  kindness.  He  docs  not  possess  the  caprice  and 
mischievous  propensities  of  the  lower  species  of  monkeys, 
to  the  company  of  which  he  usually  evnices  a  decided 
aversion. 

We  have  no  doubt  that  the  Orang-ontang  has  oflen  been, 
and  by  some  writers  still  is,  confounded  with  the  Chim- 
panze  of  Lower  Guinea.  As  the  Jocko  is  the  smaller  of 
the  former  sj^ecies,  so  may  the  Pongo  be  fairly  named  as 
the  larger  kind,  although  it  is  of  a  much  darker  hue,  and 
'  its  height,"  says  Cuvier,  "  nearly  that  of  a  man."*  The 
same  author  also  observes,  that  "  the  natural  history  of 
the  Orang-outang  has  been  miserably  disfigured  by  the 
mixing  of  it  with  that  of  other  Apes  of  the  larger  size, 
more  especially  that  of  the  Chimpanze." 

Of  the  latter  animal  we  are  about  to  speak,  reserving 
our  anecdotes,  illustrative  of  the  dispositions  and  pro- 
pensities of  the  genus  we  are  treating  of,  until  we  shall 
have  particularized  the  most  remarkable  of  its  members. 

The  Chimpanze  is  a  native  of  the  forests  of  Lower 
Guinea,  in  Africa,  where  he  is  known  as  the  Boggo  ;  and 

*  We  are  assured,  upon  the  same  authority,  that  "  the  name  Pongo 
is  corrupted  from  that  of  Boggo  (which  in  Africa  is  given  to  the  Chim- 
panzl,  or  to  the  Mandril),  and  is  the  largest  of  the  Apes  of  Borneo." 


THE    APE.  181 

is  affirmed  by  many  to  exceed  man  in  height,  to  whom 
he  ix'ars  a  stronger  resemblance,  both  externally  and  in- 
ternally, than  even  the  Orang-outang.  His  face,  ears,  and 
hands  are  not  covered  with  hair,  as  is  his  body,  although 
he  has  a  thin  white  beard  ;  the  hair  of  his  body  and  limbs 
is  of  a  dark  brown  or  black  hue ;  yet,  M.  de  la  Bresse, 
speaking  of  ti.ose  he  saw,  avers  that  "  their  skins  are  fairer 
than  that  of  a  mulatto." 

The  habits  of  the  Orang-outang  are  particularly  striking. 
He  walks  erect ;  builds  himself  a  house  of  branches  and 
leaves,  to  protect  him  from  the  heat  of  the  sun  and  heavy 
rains ;  he  lives  upon  fruits  and  eggs,  nor  seeks  for  any  kind 
of  animal  to  feed  upon.  He  joins  with  his  fellows  to  attack 
the  elephant  with  large  clubs ;  which,  owing  to  agility  and 
prodigious  strength,  they  do  with  amazing  success  ;  obliging 
him  to  quit  the  part  of  the  wilderness  which  they  claim,  vi 
et  atmiSy  as  their  own. 

Bosman  says  those  that  he  saw  were  "  above  five  feet 
tall."  Others  declare  that  they  have  seen  them  of  a  gigan 
tic  size,  which  is  corroborated  by  M.  de  la  Bresse,  who 
says,  "they  grow  from  six  to  seven  feet  high ;"  they  show 
but  little  mercy,  it  is  said,  to  those  of  the  human  race  who, 
if  unprotected,  may  be  so  unfortunate  as  to  fall  in  their 
way ;  but,  we  are  told  that  when  any  of  their  own  species 
di'i,  the  others  cover  over  the  dead  carcasses  with  leaves 
and  branches  of  trees. 

That  they  possess  great  cunning  and  sagacity  there  is  no 


THE     APE. 

doubt ,  and  which  the  comparatively  few  instances  whereii 
they  have  been  domesticated  in  Europe,  go  far  to  prove. 
They  never  associate  with  the  smaller  species  of  monkeys : 
and  even  when  domesticated  it  is  observable,  that  althouuh 
Apes  will  sometimes  permit  these  little  vivacious  animals 
to  come  near,  and,  perhaps,  take  some  slight  freedoms  with 
them,  still,  such  cases  are  exceptions  to  their  general  con- 
duct, since  they  evidently  consider  themselves  a  more 
important  race  of  beings. 

ILLUSTRATIVE    ANECDOTES. 

We  have  already  stated  that  both  the  Orang-outang  and 
Chimpanze  have,  under  the  education  of  man,  shown  them- 
selves grave,  docile,  and  attached  to  those  who  were  kind 
to  them ;  but  it  may  here  be  proper  to  remark,  that  in  a  do- 
mestic state  at  least,  they  entertain  an  unconquerable  fear  of 
serpents;  and  we  are  inclined  to  believe  that  this  fear  is 
innate,  and  no  less  absolute  in  their  native  forests,  than 
when  they  are  in  captivity,  notwithstanding  that  Labat 
says,  "  I  have  seen  these  monkeys  playing  their  gambols 
upon  those  very  branches  on  which  the  snakes  were  re- 
posing, and  jumping  ovei*  them  without  receiving  any  injury, 
although  the  serpents  of  that  country  were  naturally  vin- 
dictive and  always  ready  to  bite  whatever  disturbed  them." 
We  should  think  the  monkeys  that  thus  amused  themselves 
felt  a  consciousness  of  their  own  safety ;  since  we  have 


THE    APE.  18t 

Been  exhibitions  of  both  these  kinds  of  animals  in  the  East 
Indies  in  the  open  air,  where  Apes  and  serpents  appeared  tc 
be  reduced  to  a  state  of  obedience,  if  we  might  judge  from 
their  movements  (since  we  did  not  understand  the  lan- 
guage of  their  masters) ;  but,  although  we  have  seen  both 
kiiids  exercised  thus,  we  never  saw  them  exhibited  to- 
gether. 

One  da}"  a  young  Chimpanze  was  shown  a  large  snake,  for 
the  purpose  of  ascertaining  whether  the  fear  said  to  be  inhe- 
rent in  the  genus  to  which  he  belongs,  was  really  so  or  not,  the 
creature^never  having  before  seen  such  a  reptile.  The  instant 
he  saw  it,  he  shrunk  up  into  a  corner  in  the  utmost  alarm, 
which  could  not  be  mistaken;  nor  could  anything  induce  him 
to  go  near  the  basket  in  M'hich  the  snake  lay,  although  fruit 
was  placed  upon  the  lid,  when  it  was  shut  down,  to  tempt 
him.  Much,  however,  as  he  wished  to  obtain  the  fruit,  he 
still  kept  aloof  until  the  snake  was  altogether  removed ; 
when  the  apple  being  placed  on  a  chair,  he  after  a  cautious 
examination,  to  satisfy  himself  that  his  enemy  was  gone, 
took  the  tempting  bait  to  eat  in  safety. 

We  believe  this  Chimpanze  was  under  two  years  old 
when  it  died,  and  it  was  then,  as  we  are  assured,  cutting 
its  teeth.  Indeed,  it  had  all  the  playfulness  of  an  in- 
fant, wanting  whatever  attracted  its  attention,  and  when 
obtained,  throwing  it  aside  after  having  gravely  examined 
it.     In  its  cage  was  a  swing,  with  which,  like  most  of  its 


184  THE     APE. 

race,  it  delighted  to  amuse  itself.  It  possessed  great  bodily 
strength,  of  which  it  gave  many  proofs  in  its  play.  It  used 
to  have  its  face  and  hands  washed  like  a  baby,  during 
which  ceremony  it  behaved  with  all  becoming  seriousness. 
I*,  was  fed  upon  bread,  fruit,  cooked  meat,*  &c. 

This  Ape  was  partial  to  those  who  were  accustomed  to 
show  him  kindness  ;  lively  and  gentle,  he  betrayed  no  signs 
of  revenge  or  ill  nature,  though,  by  his  pouting  lips  and 
angry  look,  he  let  any  one  know  if  he  were  oflended.  He 
was  fond  of  looking  at  a  litter  of  puppies  which  was  with  their 
mother;  and  would  take  them  up  one  by  one,  examine  them, 
and  then  gently  put  them  down.  When  he  retired  to  rest, 
he  would  make  up  his  bed,  draw  the  blankets  over  him  and 
bury  his  face  in  them — a  practice  of  Apes,  generally,  when 
such  luxuries  are  to  be  had. 

The  Chimpsmze  obtained  from  Angola,  by  Dr.  Tyson, 
appears  to  have  possessed  all  the  good  qualities  of  the  one 
last  spoken  of.  It  showed  much  docility  and  kindness  of 
disposition  to  those  whom  it  knew ;  would  dress  itself, 
caress  its  favourites,  and  showed  no  signs  of  dislike  to  any 
creature,  except  to  sn>aller  kinds  of  monkeys,  none  of  which 
he  would  allow  to  come  where  he  was. 

Dr.  Abel  took  an  Orang-outang  from  India  to  England, 
which,  when  first  taken  on  board  the  vessel,  became  very 


•  'ITiis  certninly  could  not  have  been  natural  to  it,  although  we  haT» 
known  of  other  Apes  which  would  eat  almost  anything  edible. 


THE    APK.  18S 

festive,  although  he  had  previously  been  very  contented  in 
his  domestic  state.  But  he  had  no  notion  of  being  con- 
fined in  a  bamboo  cage,  the  rails  of  which  he  tried  to 
break ;  after  many  vain  attempts  to  do  so,  he  at  last  found 
one  of  these  rails  looser  than  the  others,  and  at  this  he 
tugged  away  until  he  broke  it,  and  stole  out  of  his  prison. 
He,  however,  was  soon  caught,  and  had  a  chain  put  on 
him ;  this  he  would  sometimes  unfasten  and  throw  over  his 
shoulder,  but  he  soon  showed  so  much  gentleness  of  dis- 
position and  gravity  of  demeanour  that  he  was  permitted  to 
walk  at  large.  He  was,  nevertheless,  very  playful ;  would 
romp  with  the  boys  of  the  ship,  and  when  an  orange  was 
sometimes  lowered  by  a  string  from  aloft,  which,  when  he 
attempted  to  seize,  the  person  holding  it  would  suddenly 
draw  up,  he  would  rush  over  the  side  of  the  vessel  as 
though  about  to  drown  himself;  or,  at  another  time,  walk 
away  as  though  he  did  not  care  for  the  fruit,  steal  slily 
up  the  rigging  and  seize  hold  ot  the  cord  to  which  the 
orange  was  suspended,  and  which  he  took  care  never  to 
let  go  until  he  had  made  sure  of  it.  This  animal  had  a 
severe  fright  or  two  while  on  board  the  Csesar,  though  not  ■ 
by  snakes, — but  once  by  the  sight  of  some  turtles  which 
were  brought  into  the  ship,  when  he  fled  up  the  rigging  in 
the  utmost  consternation ;  nor  was  he  much  less  alarmed 
on  witnessing  some  of  the  sailors  bathing. 

There  were  some  small  monkeys  on  board  the  Caesar 
which  the  Orang-outang  would  allow  to  play  with  him, 
12 


186  THE    APE. 

although  he  never  condescended  to  play  with  thfem  as  n* 
did  v'ith  the  boys.  One  day  it  happened  thet  he  saw  three 
of  these  small  individuals  of  his  tribe,  which  were  confined 
in  a  cage,  receive  some  food  of  which  he  knew  he  could 
not  partake ;  and,  by  the  way  of  giving  a  hint  to  such 
other  insitjnificant  beings  as  might  be  inclined  to  do  the 
like,  without  first  paying  his  Apeship  tribute,  he — some- 
what despotically,  we  admit — tried  with  all  his  might  to 
throw  them  overboard,  but  was  prevented.  This  animal 
was  ultimately  sent  to  a  menagerie,  but  died  cutting  his 
teeth,  two  years  afterwards. 

Among  others  which,  some  time  since,  were  exhibited 
in  London,  were  three  Monkeys  that  we  will  here  dis- 
tinguish as  the  Lady,  her  Heir,  and  its  Nurse.  The 
former  of  these,  as  we  must  suppose  it  had  been  taught  to 
do,  came  forward  with  her  young  one  in  her  arms,  which, 
afi;er  making  a  curtsy,  and  showing  it  to  the  company, 
she  gave  to  the  Nuise,  who,  with  all  becoming  respect,  stood 
behind  her  mistress  and  received  her  little  charge,  which 
seemed  to  be  perfectly  contented,  and  quite  indifferent  as  to 
who  might  nurse  it.  Not  so,  however,  was  the  little  animal's 
mamma ;  for,  turning  to  her  attendant,  she  chattered  to  her  in 
a  tone  and  manner  which  clearly  indicated  her  displeasure  at 
thedulnessof  so  inanimate  a  nurse;  and  taking  the  little  crea- 
ture from  her,  she  dandled  and  danced  it  in  her  arms  like  an 
experienced  matron,  as  doubtless  she  was.  After  thus 
■howiug  the  nurse  how  to  perform  her  duty,  she  placed  the 


THE     APE.  187 

liftle  creature  in  her  arms,  still  chattering  to  her,  and 
obliging  her  to  practise  the  lesson  she  had  been  teaching 
her,  to  the  great  amusement  of  their  visiters. 

We  saw  another  of  this  tribe,  with  a  young  one,  which 
did  not,  however,  appear  so  careful  of  its  necessities  as 
the  last  spoken  of.  In  the  cage  wherein  they  were  con- 
fined, there  was  a  perch,  upon  which  the  old  Monkey  sat 
with  her  chin  resting  upon  her  knees.  She  had  a  grizzly 
white  beard  which  went  almost  round  her  face,  reaching 
from  one  ear  to  the  other,  passing  down  the  cheeks  under 
the  chin,  and  through  which  her  black  fate  appeared  some- 
what as  though  it  had  been  ornamented  with  a  hairy  mob 
cap.  As  she  thus  sat  in  a  pensive  mood,  she  might  have 
been  supposed,  from  her  apparent  abstraction  from  all  that 
was  passing  around  her,  to  have  been  totally  indifferent  to 
it ;  but  such  was  far  from  the  fact.  Her  little  one  was  in 
the  front  of  the  cage,  looking  out  for  whatever  might 
chance  to  come  from  the  bounty  of  strangers,  which  it 
eagerly  drew  in  through  the  bars. 

Many  were  the  little  presents  we  saw  it  receive,  and,  in 
truth,  we  made  several  contributions  ourselves,  though  we 
must  confess  that  while  doing  so  we  knew  that  the  little 
creature  would  not  be  a  gainer  by  them ;  since  i;<5  contem- 
plative mamma  no  sooner  perceived  that  it  had  got  anything 
eatable,  than,  without  altering  her  position  on  the  perch, 
slie  reached  her  long  arm  over  the  shoulder  of  her  baby, 
whipped  the  gift  out  of  its  hand,  and  popped  it  into  her  own 


THE    APE. 

mouth.  The  poor  little  Monkey  got  quite  out  of  humour 
at  its  repeated  disappointments,  but  still  Icept  its  face 
towards  the  front  of  its  cfige,  little  thinking  it  was  its  un- 
kind mother  that  robbed  it  of  its  treasures,  while  silently 
seated  on  the  perch  behind. 

Mr.  Cross  (keeper  of  a  menagerie  in  London)  had  a 
Baboon  called  Jerry  —  or,  if  we  remember  correctly, 
Happy  Jerry — which  would  turn  the  organ  when  the 
beasts  were  to  be  fed ;  take  his  meals  and  wine  d  la 
Chevalier ;  nor  was  he  in  the  least  averse  to  grog  and  a 
pipe  of  tobacco.-  In  short,  "  nothing  that  was  good,"  as 
it  is  said,  ever  came  amiss  to  Happy  Jerry.  Such,  in- 
deed, were  his  numerous  accomplishments,  that  we  are 
assured  he  was  sent  for  by  George  IV.  to  pick  a  bone  at 
Windsor  Castle,  where  his  Majesty  expressed  himself  much 
amused  with  the  manners  and  mimicry  of  this  most 
magnanimoMs  of  Mandrils;  though  we  must  admit,  that  of 
the  whole  Monkey  tribe,  the  Mandril  is  the  most  disgusting 
creature  to  Jook  at.  He  is  very  docile,  yet  is,  nevertheless, 
most  mischievous  in  his  natural  state.  He  is  a  native  of 
the  Gold  Coast,  and  of  the  largest  species  of  Baboons. 

We  once  saw  a  large  Baboon,  that  was  so  very  fond  of 
children  as  to  express,  by  its  whining  and  gestures,  its  great 
anxiety  to  have  them  with  him ;  and  we  were  assured  by 
his  keeper,  that  if  a  child  were  to  be  intrusted  to  him,  the 
only  fear  of  his  hurting  it  would  be  from  the  vehemence  of 
his  caresses.     That  Monkeys  have  been  known,  when  in  a 


THE  APE.  180 

domestic  state,  to  show  sometning  like  a  partiality  to  infants, 
is  certain ;  but  whether  or  not  this  apparent  kindness  was 
the  mere  effect  of  their  proneness  to  imitation,  we  cannot 
say.  We  quote  the  following  anecdote,  as  bearing  upon 
this  subject : — 

A  ship,  belonging  to  the  port  of  Whitehaven,  had  made 
her  voyage  to  Jamaica  and  was  on  her  return  home.  It 
was  on  a  fine  aftei*noon,  when  the  captain  saw  a  strange 
sail  at  a  distance,  and  took  up  his  telescope  for  the  purpose 
of  ascertaining  to  what  vessel  it  belonged.  One  of  his 
passengers  was  a  lady,  who  had  a  young  child  at  her  breast, 
and  who  was  standing  near  him  while  he  was  looking 
through  his  glass,  which  he  offered  her,  if  she  chose  to  look 
at  the  distant  sail  also.  She  wrapped  her  infant  in  a 
shawl,  and  placing  it  carefully  on  the  sofa  whereon  she  had 
been  sitting,  looked  through  the  glass. 

While  she  was  thus  engaged,  ihe  man  at  the  helm 
suddenly  gave  an  alarm,  when,  on  turning  round,  the  first 
thing  that  caught  the  eye  of  the  poor  lady  was  an  Ape, 
which  had  been  permitted  to  run  loose  about  the  ship,  now 
running  up  the  rigging  with  her  beloved  infant,  which  it 
held  fast  in  one  arm,  while  it  used  the  other  to  assist  itself 
in  climbing  aloft,  which  it  appeared  to  do  with  much  ease, 
wotwithstanding  the  incumbrance  of  the  baby. 

The  unhappy  mother  gave  a  terrific  shriek,  and  instant- 
ly fiiinted.  Some  of  the  sailors  hastened  to  pursue  the 
creature,  who,  watching  their  movements^  climbed  still  hi^h« 


190  THE     APE. 

er ;  upon  which  the  captain  ordered  them  to  come  down, 
fearing  lest  the  Ape,  if  closely  pursued,  might  attempt  to 
effect  his  escape  by  leaping  from  one  part  of  the  rigging  tc 
another,  and  Jet  the  child  drop.  The  poor  child  now  began 
to  cry ;  and  every  one  who  heard  it  felt  the  most  anxious 
interest  for  its  fate;  but  they  were  soon  satisfied  that  its  un- 
couth nurse  had  not  hurt  it,  as  they  saw  him  caress  it,  dance 
it  in  his  arms,  and  try  (as  he  had  seen  its  mother  do)  to 
hush  it  to  sleep.  The  lady  had  been  conveyed  to  the 
cabin ;  and  while  efforts  were  resorted  to,  in  the  hope  of 
restoring  her  to  her  senses,  the  captain  ordered  the  men  to 
conceal  themselves  below,  and  placed  himself  behind  the 
companion,*  where  he  could  observe  what  passed  without 
being  seen. 

As  he  hoped  it  might  be,  so  it  proved : — the  animal  still 
holding  the  babe  with  much  care,  cast  his  eyes  everywhere 
about  the  ship ;  and,  at  length,  appearing  satisfied  that  he 
was  unobserved,  the  captain  saw  him  carefully  descend ; 
and,  approaching  the  sofa,  he  laid  the  infant  down,  unharmed 
as  when  he  had  first  carried  it  away.  The  captain,  you 
may  be  sure,  soon  caught  it  up  in  his  arms ;  and,  at  length, 
the  poor  lady  recovered  from  her  fit,  when  at  the  sight  of  her 
dear  child  safe  and  unhurt,  she  almost  became  frantic  with 
joy. 

The  anecdote  of  Father  Carbasson's  Orang-outang,  al- 
though it  has  been  often  told,  has  yet  something  in  it  so 

*  1  be  companion  ladder  of  a  vessel,  is  the  stairs  leading  to  the  cabin. 


T  H  E   A  F  E .  191 

very  illustrative  of  the  inveteracy  of  these  animals  to 
imitate  whatever  they  see  acted  before  them,  that  we  may, 
perhaps,  stand  excused  to  our  young  friends  for  repeating  it. 

The  priest  had  brought  up  his  favourite,  of  which  he 
made  so  great  a  pet,  that  it  would  follow  him  about 
wherever  he  went ;  and,  as  it  often  happened  that  he  had 
visits  to  make  where  the  company  of  his  Ape  would  not 
have  enhanced  their  pleasure,  he  was  necessitated,  upon 
such  occasions,  to  confine  the  creature  until  he  returned 
home. 

It  will  be  readily  imagined,  that  in  the  performance  of 
his  clerical  duties,  the  attendance  of  his  sylvan  friend  was 
always  dispensed  with ;  though  always  much  against  the 
will  of  the  animal  itself,  which,  like  a  dog  accustomed  to 
follow  its  master,  had  a  great  antipathy  to  being  locked  up. 
On  an  unlucky  occasion,  he  contrived  to  escape,  and  tracked 
poor  Father  Carbasson  to  the  church  ;  he  mounted  upon 
the  sounding-board  over  the  pulpit,  where  he  lay  quite  still 
and  unobserved  until  the  preacher  commenced  his  sermon  ; 
but  no  sooner  did  he  hear  the  well  known  voice  of  his  mas- 
ter vehemently  declaiming,  than  he  crept  to  the  very  edge: 
and  peeping  over,  he  so  closely  imitated  every  movement 
of  the  preacher,  and  in  so  ludicrous  a  manner,  that  the 
whole  congregation  gave  way  to  a  general  fit  of  pleasantry. 

Astonished  and  perplexed  at  such  ill-timed  mirth,  the 
unconscious  priest  reproved  it  with  pointed  severity ;  but 
instead  of  his  rebuke  calling  his  sjditors  to  that  tone  of 


192  THE     APE. 

aerious  reflection  which  he  desired,  the  more  ardour  he 
displayed  by  his  vociferations  and  gestures,  so  much  thf* 
more  closely  was  he  imitated  by  his  Orang-outang; — tlie 
whole  congregation  appeared  incorrigible,  since,  no  longer 
able  to  affect  restraint,  they  gave  aloose  to  their  inclina- 
tions, and  burst  forth  in  one  general  roar  of  laughter,  to 
the  utter  mortification  and  dismay  of  the  preacher  himself. 
A  friend,  however,  at  last  stepped  up  to  him,  and  (as  well 
as  laughter  would  allow  him  to  do)  named  the  cause  of  the 
unusual  merriment ;  and  at  the  same  time  pointed  to  the 
still  mimicking  Ape,  the  antics  of  which  were  at  that  instant 
so  grotesque,  that  his  master  could  scarcely  refrain  from 
a  smile,  as  he  ordered  the  servants  of  the  place  to  remove 
him. 

Baboons  are  plentiful  in  most  of  the  forests  of  Africa ; 
and,  from  the  concurrent  testimony  of  innumerable  writers, 
they  act  with  concert  and  system  in  their  depredations. 
The  common  Baboon,  for  instance — which  varies  in  sizt 
from  three  to  upwards  of  four  feet  high — goes  not  out  tc 
plunder  alone,  but  joins  a  troop  of  his  fellows ;  thus  they 
can  the  better  effect  their  purpose,  and  defend  themselves  if 
attacked. 

They  appear  clearly  to  understand  the  maxim,  thai 
"  union  is  strength ;"  or,  at  all  events,  practically  to  act 
upon  it.  It  seems  to  be  clearly  understood  among  thcra 
tchich  is  the  orchard  or  other  plantation  they  intend  to  rob, 
nnce  their  method  of  accomplishing  it  shows  that  their  plar 


THE    APE.  193 

must  have  been  previously  arranged.  A  certain  number 
of  them  enter  the  scene  of  their  intended  depredation,  while 
others  wait  on  the  outside  of  the  enclosure,  standing  in  lintj 
the  whole  distance  from  the  fence  to  the  mountain,  or 
whatever  other  place  they  have  fixed  upon  to  assemble.  A 
sentinel  keeps  "  a  good  look-out,"  to  avoid  a  surprise ;  and, 
thus  arranged,  the  party  within  gather  the  fruit  as  fast  as 
they  can,  which  they  cast  to  their  companions  on  the  out- 
side of  the  fence,  or  should  it  be  very  high,  to  those  which 
then  seat  themselves  at  the  top  of  it.  Thus  their  plunder 
is  thrown  and  caught  from  one  to  another,  with  the  expert- 
ness  of  so  many  jugglers,  until  it  is  safely  lodged  at  their 
general  depot.  Should  there  be  the  least  sign  of  dangei*, 
their  wary  sentinel  gives  the  alarm,  and  away  they  all 
scamper,  though  not  empty-handed,  each  one  carrying  off 
as  much  as  he  can  with  safety  to  himself.  It  is  not,  per- 
haps, the  least  sui'prising  part  of  their  plan,  that  during  the 
whole  time  they  are  engaged  in  their  work  of  this  kind,  a 
perfect  silence  is  observed  by  the  whole  troop. 

The  dogs  that  are  set  to  guard  the  premises  of  the  in- 
habitants, are  by  no  means,  at  all  times,  a  match  for  these 
depredators,  which  so  actively  use  both  their  teeth  and  claws, 
that  even  when  they  are  chased  by  them,  they  sometimes 
prove  too  formidable  for  their  assailants.  Mr.  Burchell 
says,  that  several  of  his  dogs  were  severely  wounded  by 
the  teeth  of  these  animals ;  and  ihat  two  or  three  dogs  were 
ihus  bitten  asunder. 


Ml  THE     AFE. 

Babe  yns  are  sometimes  taken  when  young,  and  broue'hll 
up  tame ;  and  we  are  told  by  Kolben,  that  they  will  then 
become  as  watchful  of  the  property  of  their  masters  as 
dogs  themselves. 

We  have  already  shown,  that  the  larger  species  of  the 
Monkey  tribe  have  an  antipathy  to  mingling  with  the 
smaller  ones.  A  strong  proof  of  this  occurred  at  an 
exhibition  of  a  variety  of  them  that  occupied  a  large  cage 
in  the  Zoological  Gardens  in  London,  wherein  was  one  of 
the  large  kind  with  a  great  many  small  ones.  It  was 
quite  amusing  to  see  the  little  creatures  begging  for  nuts 
or  cherries, — yet,  at  every  movement  they  made,  watching 
every  turn  of  their  more  powerful  companion,  from  whose 
approach  they  fled,  even  when  the  desired  prize  seemed 
within  their  reach.  One  of  these  little  creatures  had 
drawn  a  lady's  glove  into  the  cage,  with  which  he  fled  to 
the  very  top ;  and,  casting  an  eye  on  the  movements  of  his 
dreaded  neighbour,  the  glove  was  ransacked,  turned  inside 
out,  put  on  his  head,  and  then  on  his  hand ;  but  as  there 
was  nothing  to  be  got  by  it,  the  disappointed  thief  again 
took  his  chance  of  what  he  might  get  by  begging — still 
keeping  a  watchful  eye,  like  all  the  rest,  upon  their  dreaded 
and  self-important  companion. 

Of  the  Monkeys,  or  Sapajous,  which  are  natives  of  South 
\nierica,  we  must  particularize  two  or  three  species, — sine© 
uheir  habits  ind  peculiarities,  in  rome  respects,  vary  from 


THE    APE.  MW 

those  we  have  already  enumerated.  The  Preacher,  or 
Warine,  is  one  of  the  largest  size  which  is  produced  in 
America ;  he  has  a  long  prehensile  tail  (and  is,  therefore, 
of  the  Sapajou  family),  and  has  a  loud  disagreeable  voice, 
which,  as  we  shall  show  presently,  he  exerts  to  its  utmost 
extent.  His  face  is  broad  ;  his  brilliant  sparkling  eyes  are 
black,  as  is  also  the  long  glossy  hair  that  covers  his  body ; 
but,  being  longest  under  his  chin,  it  appears  to  be  orna- 
mented with  a  venerable  beard. 

The  female  carries  her  young  ones  on  her  back,  some- 
what after  the  manner  of  a  travelling  gipsy, — only,  instead 
of  clinging  round  her  neck  with  its  arms,  the  little  animal 
puts  both  arms  and  'legs  round  the  smallest  part  of  the 
body  of  its  mother,  which,  notwithstanding  the  incum- 
brance, leaps  from  bough  to  bough  and  from  tree  to  tree. 
They  are  all  mischievous  and  untameable ;  and  upon  what- 
ever they  fasten  with  their  teeth,  they  leave  a  ceilain 
remembrance  that  they  knew  how  to  use  them,  since  their 
bite  is  dreadfully  severe.  They  are  very  numerous  in 
Brazil,  and  are  eaten  by  the  natives :  their  flavour,  it  is 
said,  resembles  that  of  a  hare ;  their  fat  is  considered  a 
great  delicacy. 

In  springing  from  one  tree  to  another,  they  are  sure  to 
closely  adhere  to  whatever  part  of  it  they  touch,  whether 
it  be  by  the  hands,  fe(!t,  or  tail.  This  tenacity  renders  it  the 
more  difficult  to  take  them  ;  since,  when  they  are  wounded, 


196  THE   APE. 

ihey  will  cling  to  the  branch  upon  which  they  were ;  and 
even  when  shot,  if  on  a  tree,  they  will  stick  to  it  until  they 
actually  drop  off  by  putrefaction,  as  Marcgrave  and  other 
naturalists  assure  us. 

When  one  of  them  is  wounded,  his  companions  immedi> 
ately  hasten  to  lend  him  all  the  assistance  they  can. 
They  appear  to  be  all  surgeons,  in  their  way,  and  have 
no  disputes  about  degrees  while  their  bleeding  comrade 
requires  their  aid.  They  first  probe  his  wound  with  their 
fingers,  as  though  anxious  to  be  informed  of  its  extent; 
but,  if  it  bleed  freely,  they  close  it  up, — and  while  some 
of  them  are  thus  busily  occupied,  others  are  no  less  active 
in  procuring  leaves,  which  they  chew,  and  with  which  they 
afterwards  plug  the  wound.  The  Alonatto  is.  the  same 
species  as  the  Preacher,  differing  from  it  merely  in  the 
colour  of  its  hair,  which  is  brown,  and  in  not  having  a 
beard. 

But  the  most  remarkable  peculiarity  of  the  Preacher  is 
the  practice  from  which  he  derives  his  name.  We  are 
assured,  by  writers  of  credit,  that  every  morning  and 
evening  these  animals  congregate  in  their  forests,  where 
one  among  them  ascends  higher  than  the  rest,  motioning 
with  his  hand  for  them  to  be  seated  around  him.  This  is 
all  very  polite,  it  must  be  owned ;  but  it  does  not  end  here ; 
—we  are  assured,  that  when  the  chief  (as  we  will,  by  way 
of  distinction,  call  him)  sees  his  company  are  all  seated, 


THE     A  P  E  ^  197 

he  commences  "  an  oration,  with  so  quick  and  loud  a 
voice  that  at  a  distance  it  might  be  imagined  they  were  all 
making  a  noise  together.  During  the  whole  discourse,  the 
rest  keep  a  profound  silence;  and  when  it  is  ended  he 
makes  a  signal  for  them  to  answer  him,  and  immediately 
they  all  set  up  a  cry  together, — till,  by  another  sign  of  his 
hand,  he  orders  them  again  to  be  silent,  when  they  are 
immediately  obedient  and  quiet.  The  first  then  renews 
his  discourse,  or  song,  which,  when  finished,  and  the 
others  have  paid  their  attention  to  it,  the  whole  assembly 
breaks  up  and  separates." 

This  statement  appears  surprising,  although  attested  as 
it  is  by  writers  of  credibility.  This  species  of  Monkeys 
seem  to  act  systematically  in  their  meetings,  it  is  true ;  but 
there  does  not  appear  to  be  any  further  object  in  their  doing 
so,  than  merely  to  meet  in  groups  and  howl.  No  ultimate 
result  of  such  unions  has  yet  been  discovered,  as  we  have 
already  shown  to  be  the  case  by  the  systematic  plan  of  the 
common  Baboon.  It  may  probably  be  the  fact  that  one  of 
the  oldest  of  these  Monkeys  takes  the  lead,  and  instinctively 
directs,  as  is  the  case  with  other  animals,  according  to  their 
natures  ;  thus  the  rein-deers,  elephants,  &c.,  are  led  by  an 
old  male  of  their  respective  companies.  We  think  the  fol- 
lowing fact  an  arrangement  of  much  more  importance  to 
the  animals  that  practise  it,  than  is  the  noisy  though 
ludicrous  oratory  of  the  Preacher. 


198  THE     APE. 

Therii  are  Monkeys  called  Coaitas,  of  various  colours  on 
the  Isthmus  of  Darien,*  some  white,  others  black,  some  with 
beards,  and  others  without  them ;  however,  they  associate  to- 
gether, and  are  upon  the  best  terms  possible.  In  proof  of  this 
we  give  the  following  well  attested  account  of  their  good- 
fellowship  and  reciprocity.  They  are  also  of  the  Sapajou 
tribe ;  and  when,  as  it  sometimes  occurs,  the  tree  to  which 
they  wish  to  remove  is  at  too  great  a  distance  for  them  to 
leap  from  the  one  wherein  they  may  chance  to  be  or,  per- 
haps, when  such  trees  may  be  separated  even  by  a  river 
— yet,  even  then  they  contrive  to  accomplish  their  purpose 
without  condescending  to  descend  upon  the  ground.  One 
of  them  holding  fast  by  the  branches  of  the  tree  which 
they  are  about  to  quit,  gives  his  flexible  and  strong  tail  to 
a  second,  which  holds  it  fast ;  another  does  the  like  by  him, 
and  thus  they  hang  from  the  tree,  locked  hand-in-hand,  or 
tail-and-tail  together ;  and  in  this  way,  like  a  lengthened 
chain  (of  Monkeys)  they  swing  backwards  and  forwards 
until  the  one  at  the  bottom  is  canted  to  the  branches  of  the 
tree  which  they  desire  to  reach :  he  then  holds  fast,  and 
his  companion  at  the  top  of  the  tree  they  are  about  to  leave 
— which  may  be  said  to  be  the  other  end  of  the  chain 
which  thus  reaches  from  tree  to  tree — now  drops  down 
and  hangs,  in  turn,  at  the  bottom ;  he  then  climbs  upon  his 

*  The  aeck  of  land  which  joins  North  and  South  America* 


THE    APE.  199 

neighbours  until  he  reaches  a  branch  of  the  tree  he  wishes 
to  get  into,  as  is  done  by  the  rest ;  and  thus  they  all  arrive 
safely  without  touching  the  ground. 

The  whole  Monkey  tribe  are  considered  to  be  the  despot* 
of  the  forest ;  since  from  their  agility,  the  lion  or  tiger  can- 
not contend  against  a  race  which  carry  on  an  offensive 
warfare  from  the  tops  of  trees.  The  serpent  alone  is  their 
successful  opponent ;  and,  as  some  naturalists  express  it, 
these  two  animals  command  the  forest  between  them,  the 
latter  often  creeping  up  the  trees  and  carrying  with  him 
destruction  to  the  Monkeys  ere  they  are  aware  of  their 
danger. 

Although  they  have  not  the  power  of  doing  so  much 
mischief  as  the  Apes,  still  Monkeys  are  naturally  obstinate  ; 
nor,  in  a  tame  state,  are  they  so  much  influenced  by  kind- 
ness as  by  fear.  Thus  we  see  the  poor  tortured  animals 
forced  to  play  many  tricks  in  our  streets,  which  ill -usage 
alone  induces  them  to  perform.  Their  keepers  generally 
held  a  cane  or  whip  in  their  hands,  and  the  poor  creatures 
are  constantly  on  the  watch  for  their  commands.  It  is  an 
encouragement  of  cruelty  to  bestow  anything  upon  men 
who  thus  may  be  said  to  live  by  the  pain  (hey  inflict. 

We  now,  for  the  present,  close  our  labours,  having  es- 
sayed to  excite  a  relish  in  our  readers  for  perusing  the 
Natural  History  of  Animals  ;  and,  in  doing  so,  we  trust  it 
may  be  ever  deeply  impressed  upon  their  minds,  that  every. 


200  THE     APE. 

thing  which  God  has  created,  he  has  formed  for  the  fulfil- 
ment of  his  own  wisdom ;  and  that  they  should  never 
torture  an  animal  merely  because  its  nature  may  be  head- 
strong and  fierce,  which  it  cannot  help. 

Man  is  above  all  other  animals,  being  gifted  with  the 
power  of  reason ;  and  it  is  when,  by  his  own  vileness,  he 
allows  his  evil  passions  to  degrade  his  nature,  that  he 
sinks  below  the  level  a[  the  brute. 


y)^AK; 


Uli^ti  LtBKARt 


A     000  525  384     4 


